It Was Never Meant to Be
by AngstRiddenTeenager
Summary: COMPLETE! Focus around the triangle Liz/Jason/Courtney. Who discovers Courtney while Zander is out? Will Elizabeth choose life with or without Jason? Will Tom be convicted?
1. The End

Elizabeth looked up when she heard the door to the diner open. But she knew who it was just by the sound of his footsteps. Her stolen glance did not go unnoticed. But he said nothing and sat down in the far corner, the table farthest away from her.  
  
She looked back down at the counter and contemplated her next move. She did not want to deal with him.  
  
"Courtney?" She called into the kitchen. But to her disappointment, her friend (this term used loosely at the moment) was not yet there.  
  
She slowly walked over to him, taking her time, and hoping her nerves would hold up.  
  
"What would you like?" She asked, pulling out her pad and pen.  
  
"Coffee. Black." He said, his eyes trying to catch hers for a brief moment. He was unsuccessful. She looked directly into her pad, wrote down his order, and walked back to the counter as if he was a stranger.  
  
**'I'm going to treat you like I treat any other customer, like I don't know you. Because I don't.'**  
  
He cringed at the memory.  
  
She walked over with his coffee.  
  
"Is that all you want?" She asked, her eyes focused on the wall.  
  
"Do you have a minute?" He asked, motioning to the second chair at his table.  
  
She looked around for an excuse but the morning had been extremely slow. He was the only customer in the diner. She hesitantly sat down.  
  
"I want to apologize, Elizabeth. I gave you excuses and explanations, but I did not come right out and say that I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."  
  
She looked up, this time their eyes met.  
  
"I know you did not mean to, but that doesn't change the fact that you did." She answered, harshly.  
  
"I told you that there were things I would never be able to give you. And honesty is one of those things when it comes to my job."  
  
"Well, you don't have to protect my feelings, Jason. It obviously didn't matter to you then or now." She said, getting up from the table.  
  
"It does matter to me, Elizabeth. You matter to me." He said, grabbing her arm with his hand to keep her there.  
  
She pulled her arm away.  
  
"I stayed up waiting for you Jason, every night. Every night I hoped to hear your key in the door and to see you arrive home safely. But you stayed out, did not call, did not even consider what I was going through. That is what hurt, Jason, not knowing. If you had told me it was work and let me know that you were safe, then this would not be an issue."  
  
"No one is completely safe when you care about another person." He repeated her words.  
  
She met his eyes.  
  
"Jason, please, just stop, okay? I don't want to fight with you and I don't want what we had to end like this. We've been on this roller coaster of a relationship for so long, we've had ups and downs, but the bottom line is, I can't do this anymore. This has to stop. I have to get off the ride." She said before walking back to the counter.  
  
He sighed and looked down at his coffee in defeat. He lifted it to his lips and drank it quickly, letting the coffee burn his throat on the way down. He glanced up at her only once, she was busy at something else but he could tell that she knew he was watching.  
  
He pulled out some money and left it on the table. He got up to leave but he could not unless he made sure of something first. He walked up to the counter.  
  
"You're upset because I purposely lied to you, and I understand that. I'm content with walking away if that is what you really want. I will never bother you or talk to you, but if you ever need me I will not turn you away." He stated, and then turned to exit.  
  
She caught up with him and grabbed his jacket to stop him from leaving.  
  
"I will not come." She said, looking him directly in the eyes.  
  
He said nothing, removed her hand from his jacket, and left without another word spoken.  
  
* * * Elizabeth sat at the counter, exhausted. It had been a long day but the steady flow of customers had reduced to a trickle. As the last customer left, she left the counter and started to wipe down the tables.  
  
"I thought this shift would never end!" Courtney shared, throwing down her apron on the counter.  
  
Elizabeth said nothing, her thoughts somewhere else.  
  
Courtney instantly realized and started cleaning tables opposite of Elizabeth, watching her as she tried to avoid Courtney's eyes.  
  
Eventually, Courtney could not keep silent.  
  
"Elizabeth, I'm married. I love A.J., I'm not after Jason!"  
  
Elizabeth looked up, she wanted to believe Courtney but she could not.  
  
"I was in a committed relationship too, with Lucky, but I ran to Jason. And eventually I noticed that with every little problem I would run to Jason. Then I realized that I never wanted to leave Jason. I loved Lucky, for so long I had loved him, but Jason became more important."  
  
"Jason loves you. You can tell by the way he looks at you. And when you to are together everyone can see that. Why can't the both of you?"  
  
"Jason and I cannot work out. His life and my life are not compatible."  
  
"You both say exactly the same thing." Courtney said, getting Elizabeth's attention, "And you're both wrong."  
  
"Courtney, I can finish closing up." Elizabeth said, hoping she would get the hint.  
  
She did.  
  
Elizabeth saw Jason waiting outside when Courtney left. He did not come in or say anything to her; he just walked away with Courtney. She knew what she had said to him and that he was just obeying. But it hurt to see him walk away, but she knew it was for the best. She knew that they would never work out.  
  
**'I'm not what you need, Elizabeth. We can't work out. My life is too dangerous. You hate my job, you think it's wrong.'  
  
'I can deal.'  
  
'No, see, one day you're going to look at me and see exactly what I am. And your face will change, you'll back away, and I can't deal with that.'**  
  
Elizabeth looked down ashamed. Jason had warned her, told her about his life and the consequences of being with him, and she had just brushed them off. But every word he spoke was the truth. He had been honest with her and she had just chosen not to listen.  
  
* * * Elizabeth closed the diner and began to walk home. The night was dark but she took no notice of her surroundings. Her mind was somewhere else. Her mind was with him, wondering what he was doing at the very moment, wondering if he was okay.  
  
She almost considered ignoring all her rational thoughts and running to him, forgiving him, but she stopped herself. And the realization crept over her that she had lost someone important to her. Jason was more than a friend, a possible romance, he was more to her than anyone had ever been. And now, she had to pretend like it did not matter, what they had did not matter, and that she was content with walking away.  
  
But she was not content.  
  
She paused and sat on the bench on Pier 52, watching the ocean move gently and wishing her life was as gentle and calm as the water. But then the wind began to blow and the waves became fiercer and her hope for a simple and calm life dwindled with the breeze. When had life become so hard?  
  
It was unlike her, but she started to cry. It was merely a momentary thing, and she brushed away the tears as if they were intruders on her complexion.  
  
She would not allow herself to fall apart. But the tears came again and she could not stop herself from crying. It was a silent cry, like a prayer sent up to whomever might be listening. She let her head fall into her hands as if in defeat.  
  
Jason was walking back from the warehouse construction site when he saw her crying. He turned to walk in the other direction but could not stand to walk away from her when she was in pain, despite what he was feeling.  
  
She looked up a moment after, aware of his presence, with tear stained eyes. Their eyes met like so many times before and both noticed that between them nothing had changed.  
  
"I didn't come to you, Jason."  
  
"If you want me to leave, I can. But you should never have to hurt like this, Elizabeth."  
  
"But I do, and it's not your problem anymore. Why can't you just walk away?"  
  
"Because I need you, Elizabeth." He said, sincerely.  
  
"If you need me then why do you push me away? Every time we get close you find some reason or some excuse to justify walking away." She said, brushing the tears away, in hopes that he had not seen her sign of weakness.  
  
He walked closer and sat down on the edge of the bench.  
  
"I was afraid of this, Elizabeth, needing you. I was afraid of needing you so completely that I would loose you and it would hurt like this. I told you that one-day you would look at me and see exactly what I am, and walk away. And now you've seen me."  
  
"But that's not why I walked away. I've always seen you, Jason. When everybody else told me to stay away, that you were dangerous, I did not listen because I saw the man that you were. The other night, in your penthouse, we admitted to eachother how we really felt. But then you turned around and became the Jason everybody else sees. You kept me out of your life and it hurt because we had finally gotten to that place. But you did not think of me when you worked and how I might be worrying that I'd loose you before we could go to that new place together."  
  
"I do not want you anywhere near that life, Elizabeth. I don't want to be that man when I am around you. I don't want you to look at me and see that man. I want to keep those lives separate."  
  
"I'll never see you as that man, Jason. Everything you've done for me that other man could never do." She said, taking his hand.  
  
"So, where do we go from here?" he asked.  
  
"No where. We can't do this."  
  
He looked down, stealing his hand away from hers.  
  
She explained, "I don't want you to hurt, Jason. And I cannot hurt like this. If we tried then we just end up right where we are, but we would hate eachother, and I don't want that."  
  
"What do you want?" He asked, looking at her directly.  
  
"You know what I want, Jason. But you and I both know that it can never be."  
  
Silence was her only answer. He got up and started to walk away. He turned and their eyes met, something was different, something had changed.  
  
"Promise me that you'll be happy." He said.  
  
"No one can promise that." She answered.  
  
"Am I allowed to see you or is that off limits still?" He asked, stolid, but Elizabeth could sense the pain underneath.  
  
"I don't fit into your life, Jason. When it is just you and me, it seems perfect. And if we could live like that there would be no problem. But you have a life and obligations and I just don't fit. And a few stolen moments in my studio, or your penthouse, does not change reality."  
  
He left, leaving her there to compose herself. She sat there for the longest while, watching the waves and catching a glimpse of Spoon Island in the moonlight. She got up and walked to her studio in silence. 


	2. A New Beginning

The next day, Elizabeth was sitting at the counter at Kelly's copying down her schedule for the following week. She barely looked up when Courtney entered. She did not want to look up and see Jason walking away.  
  
"Has it been busy?" Courtney asked, eager to have some communication between herself and Elizabeth.  
  
"No, it's been slow all morning." She said, still not looking up.  
  
"What time does your shift end?"  
  
"Ten minutes. But I told Tammy I would cover the late shift tonight because someone called out sick."  
  
"Elizabeth, can we just stop this?" Courtney asked, frustrated.  
  
"Stop what?" Elizabeth asked, finally looking up.  
  
"This-this whatever it is going on between us. I'm not after Jason! And whatever is going on between the two of you, I do not want to be in the middle."  
  
Elizabeth put down her pen and paper.  
  
"Nothing is going on with me and Jason. So if there was something going on between you and him, it would not bother me the slightest." She said, indifferently.  
  
"There could never be anything going on! I'm with A.J.!" Courtney shouted.  
  
Elizabeth was silent for a moment, her eyes focused on Courtney's. She wanted to believe her and put it behind them. But something in Courtney's eyes said something different that what she had been saying.  
  
"You know who you remind me of?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"Who?" Courtney asked, confused.  
  
"Myself." She said, seriously.  
  
Courtney look confused, "What?"  
  
"When everybody thought Lucky was dead, I went to Jason for comfort, just like you went to him when A.J. was out of town. And so you thought, as soon as A.J. got back you could just lean on him and forget about Jason. But then one day you realize how you still go to Jason, even though the man you say you love has returned. And soon you'll start to sneak around, people will catch you, a few lies will be created, but it will end the same. You'll ruin the relationship you have with A.J. and you'll be free to act on your feelings for Jason. But Jason will just lead you on until he finds the next waitress at Kelly's."  
  
Courtney was shocked, "That is not how it is at all. I love A.J. and Jason and I are just friends."  
  
Elizabeth started to clear some tables, "I said that a lot too. And for a while I even believed it. I convinced myself that it was the truth. But Lucky saw right through it, like I can see right through you."  
  
Courtney said nothing, appalled by the allegations.  
  
"But I'm not upset, I'm just trying to warn you." Elizabeth said, continuing to clear off the tables.  
  
When she was done and had put all the dirty dishes in the sink, and all the garbage was thrown out, she glanced at her watch.  
  
"Oh, time to go." She said, hanging up her apron, "Have a nice shift."  
  
Elizabeth left Kelly's, leaving a very alone and confused Courtney to figure out her feelings.  
  
* * * She had not meant to walk there, but she was there. She had not been there in a while but somehow found herself there. She went inside and looked around, a single picture of her still hung on the wall. The Elizabeth in the picture was smiling, on the verge of laughter. She pulled the picture down off the wall in disgust and wanted to rip it up. At the last minute, she could not, and instead put it in her jacket pocket.  
  
She heard footsteps outside and suddenly became completely still. She went to the corner of the boxcar and waited. The footsteps got closer and soon she could see a hand reach up and grab at the doorway.  
  
She was surprised, and slightly relived, when he stuck his head through.  
  
"Lucky?"  
  
"Elizabeth." He said, questionably, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm not sure, actually." She said, moving away from the corner.  
  
Lucky looked around the boxcar as if trying to remember but he turned to her as if he gave up.  
  
"Why are you here?" She asked, curious.  
  
"I just come here sometimes, when I have nothing to do. I try to remember but it never comes."  
  
"Oh." Elizabeth said, considering leaving.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked, knowingly.  
  
"Nothing." She said, not wanting to lean on Lucky again.  
  
"Jason?" He asked.  
  
She nodded, "I know that we can never be. I told him that. And I've told myself that. But . . . I miss him."  
  
Lucky sighed, "Just because you cannot be together doesn't mean you cannot be friends."  
  
She sat down in the doorway of the boxcar and he sat down next to her. For a moment she flashed back to a different time, a time where Lucky was all she ever needed. But that was never meant to be. She pushed the thought out of her mind.  
  
"I can't. When I'm around him . . ."She started, but stopped.  
  
"What?" Lucky asked.  
  
"This is too weird."  
  
"It's me, you can tell me anything." He said, pleading with her.  
  
"The night I caught you with Sarah . . ." She started, his face reddened, "I was mad . . . but at the same time, relieved. We did try Lucky, but it was never meant to be. For so long I tried to be the Elizabeth you fell in love with in hopes it would happen again, but I was no longer that girl. And with Jason, I didn't have to pretend. That night, I was so angry, that I almost made a HORRIBLE mistake. But now I look back on it and I wish I had, so I could have at least had one perfect moment with him. But now I'll never have that, I'll never know."  
  
Lucky easily figured out what Elizabeth had alluded too. He was shocked considering one event in her life that he had helped her work through. But he did not question it because he knew she was not that girl anymore.  
  
"Elizabeth, I am the last person to commend Jason . . . but if you are hurting this much then what you have with him is more than just some passing attraction that will fade on it's own. If you don't give it a chance, you'll never know and you'll always feel like this."  
  
"But his life and my life could never work."  
  
"You're mad because he lied, but everybody lies, Elizabeth. You are no exception. He made a mistake by not trusting you, but the guy's job is to be cautious."  
  
"I don't expect him not to lie, Lucky. But how am I suppose to feel when he is gone for days at a time and I have no clue where he is or if he is okay!"  
  
"I don't have all the answers, Elizabeth. But I know that it can work . . . look at Carly and Sonny. As dysfunctional as their relationship is, it works for them."  
  
"But I'm no Carly . . ." She said, laughing slightly.  
  
Lucky draped an arm around Elizabeth's shoulder.  
  
"You're ten times better than Carly, and you deserve to be happy." He said, sincerity in his voice.  
  
She smiled and blushed; he still did that for her.  
  
"Thank you." She said, and then looked down at her watch.  
  
"Oh, I promised my grams that I'd have lunch with her. I should get going . . ." She said, feeling a slight obligation to stay.  
  
"Oh, well tell her hello for me." He said as she jumped down from the boxcar.  
  
"I will." She said, smiling, then turned to leave.  
  
* * * Courtney was cleaning up a table when Jason entered. He said nothing and sat down and she did not know he was there at first. She put the dishes in the dishwasher in the back and came back out into the diner. She instantly met his crystal blue eyes and couldn't help but smile.  
  
But the instant she smiled, she stopped, realizing what she was doing.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked, nonchalantly.  
  
"My usual."  
  
"Black coffee?" She asked, writing it down before he could answer.  
  
"Do you have a break soon?" He asked just as she was about to walk away.  
  
"No, I don't have a break until Elizabeth gets here. Why?"  
  
"Never mind." He said at the mention of Elizabeth's name.  
  
He turned away from her and she went and retrieved his coffee. She set it down in front of him, he nodded thanks, and she started to walk away. But she stopped, turned, and sat down in the chair across from him. She knew it was wrong, she felt guilty, but she had to.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked, curious.  
  
"The other night was wrong." He said, looking directly at her.  
  
"I agree. I'm married to A.J." She said, her cheeks blushing.  
  
"I know, and I respect that. So, I'm going to get another guard to watch out for you." He said.  
  
"No . . ." She said, letting it out of her mouth before she could stop herself.  
  
"Has something happened?" He asked, concerned.  
  
She was silent for a moment, making sure to analyze everything she said before she let it slip out of her mouth.  
  
"No . . . it's just that A.J. is back so there is no need for a guard." She said, the words came out slowly as if she was unsure.  
  
"No offense, but I would feel better if another guard was there. I know that A.J. would try but you don't know who your dealing with."  
  
She smiled, it made her feel good knowing that he worried about her. But the guilt quickly set in, she jumped up from the chair and voiced an excuse:  
  
"Customer."  
  
He watched her leave, noticing the urgency, and hoped that he was doing the best thing. He finished his coffee, left her payment and a generous tip, then left without saying goodbye.  
  
* * * Elizabeth walked through the park, her mind elsewhere. Her mind drifted back to another time, where she chose Lucky over her own happiness.  
  
**"I don't want to be free, I want to be with Lucky."  
  
"Elizabeth, you can't fix this. You cannot turn Lucky back into the person that you loved."  
  
"He is the person that I love and he always will be."  
  
She turned away, unable to face him. Everything she said, she wanted to be true, but it was far from it.  
  
"Don't you see what's in front of you? The whole world is waiting for you. We could see it together or you could see it alone. Just get away from Lucky and go someplace safe."**  
  
She paused and sat down on the bench. The memories of that night came flooded back and for a moment she felt as if she could not stand the pressure.  
  
**I will be now that I'm clear on what's in my heart. . . something else you gave me."**  
  
She almost cringed at the memory. She had lied to Jason that night, purposely. She had felt an obligation to stay with Lucky. He had come back to her from the dead! He had loved her for so long. They were eachother's first true love. How do you walk away from that?  
  
But that night it had seemed so easy. She had imagined just packing up and running away with Jason. To anywhere, Italy or somewhere new, and living freely and happily.  
  
That night she was clear on what was in her heart, Jason.  
  
She looked up when she heard his approach. She knew it was him as she always did. How ironic of him to show up just when she thought about him.  
  
He tried to walk by and say nothing but she stopped him.  
  
"Jason." She called, standing up from the bench.  
  
He turned and said nothing, but the electricity in his gaze shocked her. She walked closer and he still said nothing, as if he was afraid it was just a dream.  
  
"I was just thinking about that night in the park when you offered me the world, Italy with you, and I chose Lucky."  
  
"You made your choice Elizabeth."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't apologize. You did what you wanted, for yourself, and no one should apologize for following their heart."  
  
"But that's just it, I didn't follow my heart, Jason. My heart left with you, on the back of your motorcycle." She said, stepping closer.  
  
He said nothing.  
  
"I'm doing it again! Just like before, I'm pushing you away and then trying to take it back. . . I want you in my life, Jason. I miss you when you're not around."  
  
"What do you want?" He asked, his eyes peering into her.  
  
"I want you . . and I know that that's wrong, and it could never work . . ."  
  
"It's not wrong, Elizabeth."  
  
"But it can never be." She said, sadly.  
  
"We never gave it a chance to be." He said.  
  
Just as she was about to answer, his cell phone rang. His eyes looked at it in pure disgust as he pulled it from his pocket. He had been loathing this call.  
  
"Morgan."  
  
"Brenda is at the hospital."  
  
"I'm on my way." He said, and then shoved the phone is his pocket.  
  
"I have . . ."  
  
"To go." She finished for him, cutting him off, distaste evident in her voice.  
  
He looked at her with his eyes as if pleading her to understand. He was about to turn and leave when she called out to him.  
  
"Jason?"  
  
He turned back around to face her, afraid that she would tell him never to look back.  
  
"Can we continue this?" She asked.  
  
"Sure. Later." He said, turning and leaving.  
  
She smiled and started to walk in the opposite direction towards Audrey's house. 


	3. Who's calling?

Courtney was confused. She was married to A.J., she had been happy, she had been content, but then there came Jason. She had heard much about him from A.J., the accident, his mob affiliation, but never had she pictured Jason like he truly was.  
  
The way she had pictured him was a suit, like Sonny, but with A.J.'s coloring. And when she saw a picture of Jason at the Quatermaine mansion, she was surprised. But it was not until she met him, and it registered, that she really started to see who he really was.  
  
It wasn't just that he saved her, or that he watched over her, it was the fact that he put her, and everyone that he cared about, before himself.  
  
And then there was the kiss. A surprise in itself, which changed everything. Now, every thought, and every moment she lived, was for Jason. Her mind would always wander to him. Her body ached for his touch.  
  
She knew it was wrong. She did love A.J. He is her husband. She felt guilty for even looking at another man. But the kiss, it made her realize that she could no longer hide from her attraction to Jason.  
  
All of this came to her while cleaning a table after Elizabeth had left. Her words had stung, hitting a little too close to home. As much as she had denied it, Courtney knew that Elizabeth was right. The feelings were there and she constantly found herself reaching out to Jason and leaving A.J. in the dark.  
  
He thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang. She walked over to the counter and picked it up.  
  
"Kelly's."  
  
"Daisy, baby, I'm counting down the moments until we meet."  
  
"Leave me alone. Stop calling."  
  
"You've got no where to hide, I see all, Daisy"  
  
"You perverted freak, my name is not DAISY!" She screamed.  
  
She hung the phone up on the caller and quickly started dialing Jason's number. Just about to press the last digit, the bell above the diner door stopped her. She turned to look and was surprised by whom she found.  
  
* * * Elizabeth paused on the front porch of the old house. So many memories came back to her from when she lived there.  
  
"Everything alright, Elizabeth?" Her grandmother asked.  
  
"Yes." She said, sighing. "Thank you for lunch."  
  
"Anytime, dear." Audrey replied with a smile. She then turned back inside and shut the door.  
  
Elizabeth turned and was startled by a man standing a few feet away. She jumped backwards.  
  
"I'm sorry if I startled you." He said.  
  
"Why are you here?" She asked, suspicious.  
  
"I work for Mail Delivery. I have a letter to deliver to this address. Can you sign for it?" He asked, holding out a clipboard.  
  
"Oh, sure." She said, relieved.  
  
She signed her name and he handed her the letter.  
  
"I'm sorry again." He apologized.  
  
She smiled, "It's okay."  
  
He walked away and she looked down at the letter to search for a return address. What it said there shocked her to the core: Pentonville. She had to pause for a moment to regain her composure. Who would send her grandmother mail from Pentonville? But she looked down again and noticed that mail was not for her grandmother, it was addressed to her.  
  
Against her better judgement, she ripped it open. It read:  
  
"Ms. Elizabeth Webber  
  
The state of New York would like for you to be made aware, as of November 1, 2002, that prisoner #3666ADF, Mr. Thomas R. Baker, has been released from Pentonville on parole for satisfactory behavior.  
  
The state has issued a restraining order that states if Mr. Baker comes within 50 feet of you then he will be arrested with no future possibility of parole. If Mr. Baker violates this order, please contact your local police department immediately."  
  
For a moment she just stood there, unable to comprehend what it said. Every feeling, every insecurity, every time she had looked over her shoulder, it all came back to her at that very moment.  
  
It had taken her so long to put what had happened to her behind her. But all the sudden, it was back. She had thought that that chapter of her life was over and done with. But at the moment she felt sixteen again, and it was the worst feeling in the world.  
  
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the first person that came to mind.  
  
Ring. Ring. Ring.  
  
"Morgan."  
  
She couldn't speak. The words caught in her throat.  
  
"Hello?" He asked worried, on the other side of the phone.  
  
"Jas-" was all she could manage out.  
  
"Courtney?" He asked into the phone.  
  
He had assumed it was Courtney. The first person that had come into his mind was Courtney? Elizabeth moved past scared into furious. She turned off the phone and shoved it in her purse.  
  
She knew the one person who would understand how she felt and started walking.  
  
* * * Coleman came inside and strolled right towards Courtney. He sat down and with one hand brushed a few strands of hair off his face.  
  
"Coffee please." He requested.  
  
She said nothing and poured the coffee. As she set it down he reached for her hand. She tried to pull away from him but his hand was too tight around her own.  
  
"I don't appreciate being attacked in my own place of business. Your little boyfriend needs to back off."  
  
"You deserve what Jason did to you." She said, despite the fact that she was unsure if Coleman was the stalker.  
  
"So, he's got a name. Does A.J. know it?" He asked, threatening.  
  
"He's A.J.'s brother." She said, finally getting her hand free from his grip.  
  
Coleman started to chuckle, "A girl between two brothers, how interesting. On one hand you've got a mobster and on the other you've got the Quatermaine black sheep."  
  
"I'll call the police." She threatened, one hand on the phone.  
  
"Good. I'd like to report what your brother's right-hand-man did to me."  
  
The last thing Courtney wanted was Jason getting in trouble.  
  
"What do you want from me?" She asked.  
  
"I want nothing . . . at the moment. I just wanted to warn you, I saw the other night, and despite the fact that A.J. burned down my club and is dirt compared to you, I think he deserves to know when his wife is two-timing him with his own brother."  
  
She froze. He had seen her kiss Jason.  
  
Just then Jason came running into the diner and could see that Coleman was making Courtney uncomfortable. Coleman had turned on his entrance and smiled at the irony.  
  
"If it isn't mobster Quatermaine, ready to seduce his brother's wife." He said, chuckling.  
  
He turned to Courtney, "I'll have what I want."  
  
He walked by Jason and towards the exit. When he was gone, Jason came over.  
  
"What happened?" He asked, worried.  
  
"He knows that we kissed. He threatened to tell A.J." She whispered, despite the fact they were the only two there.  
  
Jason looked down and noticed the marks on her arms.  
  
"Did he try something?" He asked, angry.  
  
"No," She said, "He just was holding onto me tightly."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know. If he tells A.J., there is no telling what he. might do."  
  
"Is that the only reason you called or were their more phone calls?"  
  
"I didn't call you." She said, "I tried, but before I could he came in."  
  
Jason tried to guess who called him. If it wasn't Courtney . . .  
  
* * * Elizabeth had gone back to the boxcar but Lucky had long since left. She checked Deception, Eli's, with Nikolas, but still no sign of Lucky. There was only one more place she could think of, and she really didn't want to go there.  
  
She did not want to go there because she knew that Courtney was working. She knew that if she went inside that she would have to face her.  
  
She glanced through the window hoping that there would be numerous customers. There was only one man inside besides Courtney and that was Jason. She stopped and watched the way they were with eachother. How comfortable they seemed, how compatible. It sickened her.  
  
She turned to walk away, unable to walk in and see the look that Jason would give or Courtney's explanation. She had had enough. 


	4. Backlash

Lucky was heading down the stairs from his apartment above Kelly's when he heard Courtney and Jason speaking. They had kissed; Elizabeth's suspicions were valid.  
  
He could not remember loving her, but he did care about her. The last thing he wanted was for Elizabeth to be hurt. He walked down the stairs into the diner and made his presence known.  
  
Both Jason and Courtney were silenced when they noticed he was there.  
  
"Do you want something?" She asked causally, a moment later.  
  
His eyes met Jason's.  
  
"No. I'm just leaving." He said, and then started walking towards the door.  
  
When he walked outside he saw Elizabeth walking away. He called out to her just as Jason left Kelly's. She turned, met by two sets of eyes.  
  
"Are you okay?" Lucky asked, concerned.  
  
Her eyes focused on Jason, "Just fine."  
  
She then turned and left both men standing there. Courtney came out a minute afterwards.  
  
"Did you ask-" She started as she came out the door.  
  
She instantly noticed that Jason's eyes would not meet hers. His eyes focused on a spot previously vacated by Elizabeth.  
  
"Jason?" She called to get his attention.  
  
Lucky turned, "Are you going to answer her, Morgan?" He asked.  
  
His gaze shifted to Lucky.  
  
"Did you overhear our conversation when you were on the stairs?" He asked, Courtney waiting eagerly by.  
  
"I heard enough." He said, distaste evident in his voice.  
  
He turned and started to walk away but Courtney caught up with him.  
  
"You cannot tell A.J.. Please, it was a mistake." She pleaded.  
  
He turned around to face her. The guilty look on her face similar to that which he had seen on Elizabeth's face when he use to catch her with Jason. He always knew that the attraction was not one-sided in their relationship; he just didn't want to believe it then.  
  
He focused on Jason, "To be loved by Elizabeth is the most wonderful thing in the world. I had it, and I lost it. And for so long I tried to get it back. You have it and you treat her like this? Morgan, do you ever think before you do anything?"  
  
Jason did not have a chance to say anything because Courtney stuck up for him, "You don't even know the whole story . . ."  
  
"I see why the two of you get along so well, you're doing the same thing to A.J. But what's worse is you're married to him. Did your vows mean nothing?"  
  
She said nothing, the guilt suddenly becoming overwhelming. Jason stepped forward in her defense.  
  
"Like you should talk, Lucky. Vows mean nothing to you. You were about to marry someone you didn't love." Jason voiced.  
  
Lucky looked down in shame, realizing he had done something similar.  
  
"The difference is, I did it to protect her."  
  
"Protect her? All you caused her was pain, Lucky." Jason continued.  
  
"But I did not go behind her back with someone else. My heart was not with anyone else." Lucky confessed.  
  
"Until her sister came back." Jason said, remembering a night from long ago, vividly.  
  
**"Don't even tell me to calm down. Okay, just don't!" Elizabeth screamed, furious.  
  
"No, take your best short, rip this thing apart." He said, holding out a canvas in front of him.  
  
"God, how could I be such an idiot? How could I believe Lucky and Sarah of all people? They both lied to me more than once, did I think about that? Did I ever doubt them when they said they wouldn't get together? No. Because I was too busy being a good sister for once in my life. God! God, what is wrong with me?" She asked, pacing the room because she was too angry to stand still.  
  
"You wanted to believe them." He said, knowingly.  
  
"No, I'm just such an idiot."  
  
"No you aren't." He fired back.  
  
"Oh, right. Little Elizabeth, loyal girlfriend, understanding ex- girlfriend. I've done everything right. I've played by every rule, and look where it got me!"  
  
"Why don't I listen to you? Why was I so willing to shut myself down to be with Lucky? I signed my LIFE over to him. I wasted years waiting for Lucky to love me again. And for what? To find him in bed with my sister!"**  
  
Lucky said nothing and stormed off after Elizabeth.  
  
* * * Elizabeth did not want to be found by anyone. She did not want to be saved, or rescued. She just wanted to put everything behind her.  
  
Before she knew it she was in the park, just feet away from where the worst event in her life had taken place. She knew that now that he was out it would always be on the back of her mind, but she had to try and stop herself from letting it consume her life.  
  
She had won. He was off the street, for a period of time, and who knows what he could have done. But by the same token, he was back on the street and a threat to her once again. She was the one that had gotten him put away. What if he wanted to get her back?  
  
She turned to look behind her and saw no one. She sat down on the bench, peeked behind the bush, and satisfied herself with the fact that no one was there.  
  
"Elizabeth?" She heard, someone calling her from far away.  
  
She looked around and finally met the brown eyes of Nikolas Cassidine.  
  
"Hey." She said, half-heartedly.  
  
"What are you doing HERE, alone?" He asked, taking a seat next to her.  
  
"Trying to get more than one vision out of my head." She said.  
  
"Explain."  
  
Despite the fact that Nikolas knew how dangerous Tom was, Elizabeth did not want to lean on him. And to speak to him about Jason was out of the question.  
  
"No, I don't want to talk about it. Anything else."  
  
"Then tell me, why are you here of all places?"  
  
"Do you ever just want to not be found? For a moment just get lost with no worries? Forget about your troubles and conflicts and just live?"  
  
"Of course. Everybody has moments like that."  
  
"Well, right now I would be happy to loose myself somewhere, for a while." She said, exhausted.  
  
"Come live at Windamere for a little while." He offered.  
  
"Are you serious?" She asked, almost laughing.  
  
"Yes, I'm serious."  
  
"You do remember what happened the last time I lived with you, don't you?" She asked.  
  
He sighed.  
  
"I know we're not as close as we use to be, and that is entirely my fault . . ."  
  
"Nikolas, it's not all you. I. . ." She started.  
  
"No, Elizabeth, it is. I want to make that up to you. Let me help." He interrupted.  
  
She turned to look at him, to really look at him. And for the first time in a while she saw the friend she use to have in Nikolas, the old Nikolas. The Nikolas who helped her escape from Tom, the Nikolas who helped her win back Lucky's heart, if only briefly, the Nikolas whom had saved her from herself too many times to count.  
  
She smiled.  
  
"Okay. I'll come over after my shift tonight."  
  
* * * "What if he tells A.J.?" Courtney asked Jason.  
  
"He won't." Jason said, confident.  
  
"How are you so sure?" She asked.  
  
"He only wants to destroy one relationship tonight and it isn't yours. But I'm not sure that Elizabeth will not tell A.J."  
  
"He wants to destroy your relationship with Elizabeth? I thought that was already over?"  
  
"It will be if he talks to her." He said, turning back towards the direction that Elizabeth had left from.  
  
Courtney put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He felt it first and then turned to look at her with his crystal blue eyes. Her eyes met his for a moment and neither person knew just what to say.  
  
Jason broke the silence, "Your married."  
  
She pulled her hand away, the look of guilt appearing on her face.  
  
"I know." She said simply, and for a moment lost herself in his eyes.  
  
A noise startled her and once again she realized what was going on. She turned and walked back inside without giving Jason any explanation, he didn't need on.  
  
His eyes followed her until she was out of sight. He looked down at his cell phone and remembered the call from earlier; the one he thought was Courtney.  
  
When the call came in, he was too worried to look down and see whom it was. Since Courtney had been calling so much recently, he just assumed it was her.  
  
He recognized the number on the phone display. But what he couldn't figure out was why Elizabeth called. She never called unless she was in trouble, and if she had been in serious trouble she would have talked to him when she saw him, wouldn't she? Or was she too upset and forgot for a moment her own problem and just wanted to get away?  
  
He took off in the direction she went and hoped to find her before anything happened. If something occurred, he would blame himself. It was his fault she ran.  
  
* * * After packing up all she would need, Elizabeth went back to Kelly's to cover the late shift. She had called Nikolas ahead of time and he planned on picking her up after her shift.  
  
When she came in, Courtney was busy with a customer so she easily avoided her for the time being. She made her way to the counter, hid her suitcase underneath, and put on her apron.  
  
Courtney came over and went behind the counter for some coffee. Elizabeth ignored her entirely by walking in the kitchen and starting to wash the dirty dishes.  
  
Courtney followed her into the kitchen a moment later.  
  
"I'm sorry. I know that I lied to you before. But kissing him was a mistake, and I promise it won't happen again. It happened when A.J. was away and since then I have felt horrible. And I'm the one that kissed him so don't blame him. He is really concerned about your relationship . . ."  
  
Elizabeth turned towards Courtney and soon enough Courtney was aware of her mistake.  
  
"Lucky didn't tell you?" Courtney asked, unsure.  
  
"You kissed Jason and Lucky knew?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, but like I said it was a mistake and I swear it will never . . ."  
  
Elizabeth knocked the plates she was cleaning into the sink. They broke but it didn't register immediately.  
  
As soon as she realized, "I am such a klutz. You know, sometimes I do stupid things. . ."  
  
She started picking up the pieces of glass off the floor, but stopped to shove some of the pieces in the garbage.  
  
"But never ONCE did I kiss someone by accident. . ."  
  
"I'm sorry." Courtney said, leaning into the sink to help clear the broken dishes.  
  
"I can do this myself, go help the customers." She said.  
  
"No, let me help you. You wouldn't have knocked them down if . . ." Courtney started as she picked up more of the broken dishes.  
  
Elizabeth pulled Courtney's hands out of the sink, "You've done enough."  
  
Elizabeth let her grip on Courtney's hands loosen and Courtney left for the front of the diner, leaving Elizabeth in the back alone.  
  
A moment later, Bobbie ventured in from the front of the diner.  
  
"Thank you so much for covering this shift," She said as she picked up her purse, "I owe you. It's just that Jill called out last minute. . ."  
  
"No problem." Elizabeth said, despondently, as she picked up the remainder of the broken dishes.  
  
Bobbie turned and noticed the broken pieces.  
  
"What happened?" Bobbie asked.  
  
"Courtney had an accident." She said sarcastically as she loaded the last pieces into the trash.  
  
"Well, accidents happen. You just got to pick up the pieces and move on." She said, oblivious to Elizabeth's hidden meaning.  
  
Elizabeth mumbled a reply as she started washing the dishes that had not been broken. Bobbie left without a clue as to what had happened.  
  
As soon as Elizabeth was done the dishes, she noticed that she had cut herself without realizing. The blood was already on her shirtsleeve. She quickly doused the cut in water and pulled out the first aid kit. She found the alcohol and quickly put some on the cut. The cut stung miserably to the point where Elizabeth's eyes started to tear up.  
  
The tears started to fall but she brushed them away just as quickly. She refused to cry, to let her emotions take her over, to appear weak and childish.  
  
The tears were tears of pain, but not for her cut, for her broken heart.  
  
Courtney came in; her plan was to avoid Elizabeth and just get what she had come into the kitchen for. But her eyes instantly went to Elizabeth and the guilt set in heavily.  
  
"Elizabeth . . ." She started, not sure exactly what to say to convince her she was truly sorry.  
  
But Elizabeth was not in the mood to hear anything, especially from Courtney. And the fact that Courtney had walked in on her in a moment of weakness proved to be the catalyst that transformed her pain into anger.  
  
Elizabeth got up, looked Courtney straight in the eyes, and slapped her. Confident with her solution, she wiped her eyes and went out into the diner. Courtney was left standing in the kitchen, shocked. 


	5. When Kissed

Elizabeth was not the type of person to slap anyone, but at that moment she surprised herself. She paused after leaving the kitchen to register what just happened. She even considered going back to apologize but did not. She had no reason to apologize. The only thing she did wrong was in retaliation to what Courtney had done.  
  
She looked up and was surprised that Nikolas was there. She walked over and sat down with him.  
  
He looked at her quizzically, then asked, "What just happened?"  
  
She was not surprised that he had caught on the fact that something was amiss.  
  
"I just slapped Courtney." She said, as if repeating it would make her believe that it had happened.  
  
"What?" Nikolas asked, thinking that he heard his friend wrong.  
  
He had known Elizabeth for a while and she was far from a violent person.  
  
"I slapped Courtney. In the kitchen, I slapped her." She repeated, trying once again to make herself believe it.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I got upset . . . and I'm stressed . . . and I just let something get to me. I should go apologize." She said, getting up.  
  
He reached out for her hand, "Elizabeth, what is going on with you? I've never seen you like this."  
  
She had to look away from his eyes, "Nothing."  
  
"Elizabeth . . ." He started as the diner door opened.  
  
His voice faded into the background as she caught eyes with the man who just entered.  
  
Courtney emerged from the back just as the diner doors opened. He stepped in and instantly she stood still.  
  
His eyes were focused on Elizabeth, but briefly they ventured in her direction.  
  
Elizabeth excused herself from the conversation from Nikolas and walked over to him.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded.  
  
He looked at her speechless, unable to conjure up a defense.  
  
"I didn't know how to tell you. You were already upset and I just did not want to make it worse." He said, feeling guilty.  
  
"So, to sum up, you lied to 'protect' me? I don't need protecting. I don't need to be saved or rescued . . . "  
  
"Elizabeth . . . " He started.  
  
"Lucky, just leave. Please. I cannot do this now." She suggested, then turned and walked into the kitchen to escape.  
  
Nikolas just remained silent and surprised. Lucky sent a glance in his direction before turning around and leaving. A moment after the door shut, Courtney started up after him.  
  
"Lucky!" She called out to him.  
  
He turned to face her.  
  
"Thank you for not telling her. I know that you don't like Jason and . . . " She started.  
  
He almost laughed, "You sound just like Elizabeth when she use to defend him. I wanted to tell her. But I thought that if Jason really cared about her than he would tell her on his own. I guess I was right about him all along."  
  
Lucky turned and left Courtney standing outside alone.  
  
Just as Lucky left, Jason came from the other direction.  
  
"Was he bothering you?" He asked, seeing the fleeing Lucky.  
  
"No, I'm fine. Just shocked."  
  
"What happened?" He asked, concerned.  
  
"He didn't tell Elizabeth but I assumed that he did and . . ."  
  
"She's upset." He completed her thought.  
  
"Yes, which is understandable. We both lied to her. Lucky lied to her. . ."  
  
"Is she inside?" He asked, curious.  
  
"Yeah, in the kitchen. She went back there after her fight with Lucky."  
  
He looked through the windows to try and catch a glimpse of her but could not see her. He opened the door and both Courtney and himself walked inside. She went back to being a waitress and he attempted to stroll past Nikolas into the kitchen.  
  
Nikolas called out, "Morgan, the kitchen is only for employees."  
  
Jason ignored him and kept on walking. Nikolas got up and grabbed him and forcefully turned him around.  
  
"Leave her alone." He said, his grip tight on Jason's jacket.  
  
"You don't speak for Elizabeth." He said, removing Nikolas' hand from his jacket.  
  
"I may not, but I know that you are the last person she wants to see right now." He said, knowingly.  
  
Jason knew it was most-likely true, but he had to try to explain to Elizabeth.  
  
He hated Nikolas, he was arrogant and rude, but he knew that Nikolas truly cared about Elizabeth. But at the same time he knew that Elizabeth did not want anyone else speaking for her.  
  
He walked into the back to find her putting a bandage on her cut. He could see that she had been crying. His heart sank knowing that he was partly responsible.  
  
She looked up, her instincts telling her that he was there.  
  
"You won't believe who kept you're secret." She voiced sarcastically, looking back down at what she was doing.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said, simply.  
  
"Sorry no longer rectifies what you did."  
  
"Elizabeth . . ."  
  
Her eyes met his and for a moment it felt just like before.  
  
"For so long I've told myself that somehow we could make this work. That if we were really meant to be that we would find a way. But there is no way, Jason. I told you that the other night only half believing it. And then I let it slide with the false hope that this last chance would change everything. But instead I find myself back to where we were. I don't want to hate you Jason. I don't want to have to do this. But there is no other way."  
  
He stood stolid, knowing that much of what she said was true.  
  
"I can't just be friends with you, Elizabeth." He said.  
  
"Then we are nothing. Whatever we had is over. We just have to walk away because if we stay we're just going to end up hating eachother."  
  
"I could never hate you." He admitted.  
  
She was silent for a moment knowing that what he said was true.  
  
"Not intentionally . . . but you can hurt me. You have hurt me."  
  
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I never meant any of this. I never thought that I could feel like this with you and someone else at the same time."  
  
Elizabeth froze.  
  
"You have feelings for her?" She asked, hoping that she had heard him wrong.  
  
"Yes." He admitted.  
  
"She's married to your brother!" She exclaimed, upset.  
  
"I know. But you were with Lucky. . . " He started.  
  
"What I had with Lucky was not anything like this. You're not even with Courtney. A.J. is with her. Don't try to make me seem like the bad guy." He said nothing, not sure what to say. He knew how she was feeling because he felt it to, but he had no way to remedy the hurt.  
  
She closed her eyes, unable to face him. Her tears started to sting but she ignored the pain.  
  
"Leave."  
  
He did not argue but he did hesitate. He wanted to look at her one last time, take in the sight of her, and take with him the pain he had inflicted.  
  
The last thing he had ever wanted was to hurt her. But he refused to lie to her again.  
  
He turned and left the kitchen and walked outside. Courtney noticed and followed him out. The last person he wanted to see was her. He sat down at one of the tables and let his head fall into his hands.  
  
"Jason . . ." She started, sitting down the table.  
  
He said nothing.  
  
"I'm sorry this is my fault . . ." She continued.  
  
"Don't blame yourself. It's mine." He said, still not looking at her.  
  
"You know that's not true. I kissed you. I'm the one that's married to another man." She said, trying to get him to see it her way.  
  
He let his hands fall and their eyes meet.  
  
"I let you and I hurt Elizabeth." He admitted.  
  
She took her hands and wrapped them around his.  
  
"Sometimes we hurt people when it's the last thing we ever meant to do. But sometimes you cannot help it."  
  
"Isn't this cozy? I hope I'm not interrupting." A voice startled them.  
  
Courtney was the only one to turn and face him.  
  
* * * Elizabeth waited until she heard his footsteps retreat before she opened her eyes. She looked out of the kitchen to see him leave. Courtney followed.  
  
Her own words hung in her mind. **I never thought that I could be in love with Lucky and have feelings for you. I didn't handle it too well.**  
  
She sighed, realizing that she had been down this road with Jason before. But it was time that ended.  
  
She wiped her eyes and walked out into the diner. She walked to the window and saw their hands clasped together. As much as she tried to bottle up what little part of her cared for him, she could not. She quickly turned and walked away from the door.  
  
"Elizabeth?" Nikolas called out to her.  
  
She suddenly remembered that he was there. It had felt like years since she had seen him.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't stop Jason. Something he said bothered you, didn't it?" He asked, he could easily tell that something was wrong.  
  
"I saw it and I just didn't want to believe it. I told myself it wasn't true. But it was." She mumbled to no one in particular.  
  
"What was true?"  
  
"He likes her, Courtney."  
  
"I'm sorry." Nikolas said, knowing how much Elizabeth cared for Jason.  
  
"You're not sorry, you're happy. You hate Jason. Everyone hates Jason. . . " She started.  
  
"Elizabeth . . ."  
  
"No, Nikolas. It's true so don't try to deny it. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of pretending, of lies, of the truth. I just don't want to hear it." She said, then turned and ripped off her apron.  
  
She pulled her suitcases out and headed for the back exit. She needed to be anywhere but there. 


	6. Playing Dirty

"My brother, the mobster, and my wife. Isn't this a quaint picture." A.J. voiced.  
  
Courtney swiftly pulled her hands away and tried to quickly conjure up a story to explain.  
  
"It's not how it looks . . ." She began but was interrupted by A.J.  
  
"Jason, you just cannot stop until you ruin me, can you?" A.J. said, starting in on Jason.  
  
Jason stood up from the table.  
  
"This has nothing to do with us, A.J."  
  
"I don't see how that is, it involves both of us and my wife."  
  
"Courtney is Sonny's sister. My job is to protect her."  
  
"I can handle that just fine." A.J. stated.  
  
"Just like you have been handling it? She's getting stalked and you're just sitting around . . ."  
  
"Stop this!" Courtney started, jumping up from her chair, "I know the two of you don't get along but you don't need to fight all the time."  
  
She turned to A.J., putting her hand on his shoulder, "Nothing is going on with Jason. I love you. I'm married to you."  
  
A.J. took her hand, "I know. But my brother has this way of stealing people away from me."  
  
Jason let out a sigh of frustration.  
  
"This isn't about Michael, A.J. This is about you and me. Why don't you come inside?" Courtney offered.  
  
He nodded and they went inside Kelly's together leaving Jason alone.  
  
* * * Elizabeth did not know how to feel. Not only had Jason and Courtney lied to her, but also Lucky had covered for them. To top that off, the fact that Tom was out of prison did not make her feel very comfortable in her own skin at the moment. She needed a friend, someone who could listen and lend her some insight.  
  
She got to his door and knocked gently. He came a moment later and when he opened the door she was greeted with his surprised expression.  
  
"Elizabeth?"  
  
"Hi. Could I come in?" She asked, as he noticed her suitcases.  
  
"Sure." He said, moving out of the way.  
  
She came in and sat down in one of the vacant chairs in the apartment.  
  
"What's going on?" He asked, concerned, as he sat down on his bed across from her.  
  
"I know I don't deserve a favor from you, but I could really use a friend."  
  
"Sure." He said, sincerely.  
  
"I was wondering if I could crash here? Just for tonight . . . I have nowhere else to go besides my grams and she asks to many questions."  
  
"This is about Jason, isn't it?"  
  
"How'd you guess?"  
  
He let out a sigh.  
  
"Well, Jason has been assigned to protect Courtney, Sonny's sister. I heard a few things but I didn't really listen until I saw it for myself. Then Courtney admitted they kissed and I got upset . . . "  
  
"And?"  
  
"I slapped her." She paused.  
  
"When are you going to realize that Jason is a jerk? He's not worth you getting upset over. After everything he's done to you, why do you still care about him? You've been shot at, kidnapped, and lied to."  
  
"Because when I needed someone to listen and someone not to judge me, he was there. And through everything with Lucky he was supportive. Am I just supposed to ignore that and pretend as if it didn't happen; pretend that it didn't mean anything to me?"  
  
"No. But you have to consider what he's done to you recently. People can change, Elizabeth. Maybe the Jason you use to know no longer exists."  
  
She became silent. She did not want to believe that the Jason she cared for was gone. She did not want to believe that every obstacle they had overcome to be together was pointless. She wanted to believe in him. But her faith in him was wearing thin.  
  
"But I don't understand why you came to me. Why do you need anyone?" He asked, interrupting her thoughts.  
  
"Zander . . . I am just tired of people walking all over me. God, I forgave Nikolas with all he's done to me. I forgave Lucky after I caught him with my sister. I forgave Jason for lying to me about Sonny. I'm afraid that if I stand by and do nothing then it will happen all over again. And it feels like shit to get walked all over."  
  
"You're too nice for your own good." Zander interrupted.  
  
She smiled, "Thank you for the compliment, but that doesn't help my current situation."  
  
"My father once said, the best way to fight dirt is with dirt." He offered.  
  
She looked him straight in the eyes, confused by his sudden insight.  
  
"What I mean is, if Jason and Lucky lie, you could always lie right back."  
  
"I'm not sure, you know how I hate liars . . ."  
  
"Elizabeth, if you want to stand up to them your going to have to play dirty."  
  
She said nothing.  
  
"Well, you unpack what you'll need and I'm just going to go and drop of my rent check. And while I'm gone, think about it.  
  
She thought about it momentarily and then smiled.  
  
* * * Jason did not know where to go or whom to run after. Elizabeth had made her feelings clear, she wanted nothing to do with him. And despite the attraction drawing him to Courtney, she was married to A.J. Before he had a chance to even consider his options, Nikolas emerged from Kelly's.  
  
"You have quite a nerve, Morgan. First you pin Elizabeth against Lucky and now A.J. and Courtney are battling it out in there. I don't understand, do you get off on messing up people's relationships?"  
  
He did not have time for Nikolas and his rants. He was actually glad to hear his cell phone ring. He ignored Nikolas and pulled it out.  
  
"Morgan."  
  
"Mr. Morgan, this is Andrew at Pentonville. I came upon some information you might want to be made aware of."  
  
"What information?" Jason asked, but before he could hear the answer, the phone was pulled from his hands and thrown.  
  
"Sonny can't save you this time, Morgan." Nikolas added.  
  
Jason glared at him with cold eyes, "Nikolas, I don't have time for this."  
  
"Do you realize how much Elizabeth is hurting right now? Do you even care?"  
  
Nikolas was yet again met with a cold stare.  
  
"This is what I don't get about you, Morgan. If you care about her, like you say you do, why do you keep intentionally hurting her? Before tonight Elizabeth would never have acted the way she did with Courtney. And the reason she changed is because of you. I hope you're happy." Nikolas said harshly, then turned around and walked away.  
  
Jason stood there for a moment, realizing that Nikolas, as much as he did not want to admit it, was partially right. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and then looked into the diner.  
  
Courtney and A.J. were sitting down together. He looked at them for a long time, studying their movements and their habits with one another. He could see that they had a connection. He knew that the last thing that Courtney wanted was to hurt A.J. but she had, by lying to him.  
  
He did have feelings for Courtney, but they did not even compare to what he felt for Elizabeth. He only hoped that he could find her and some rectify what he had done.  
  
But first he had to find his phone. Andrew, the man on the phone, was Sonny's 'friend' at Pentonville. If Andrew had information for him, it meant trouble.  
  
* * * "A.J., I know that you can protect me. I don't doubt that. But earlier today Coleman was at Kelly's and Jason just happened to come in. If it wasn't for him, it could have ended much worse."  
  
"Coleman? What happened?"  
  
"He was threatening to leak . . . some information out. Then he grabbed me. If Jason hadn't come . . ."  
  
A.J. comfortably took a hold of Courtney's hand, "I'm sorry. I didn't know. It's just that when I saw you with Jason . . ."  
  
"I know . . . but I promise A.J., you are the only man I love." She said, reassuring him.  
  
He smiled.  
  
Their moment was interrupted when the phone rang. She ran over to the counter and picked it up.  
  
"Kelly's."  
  
"Daisy, baby, it's been too long since I've heard you're voice."  
  
"Leave me the hell alone!"  
  
A.J. raced up and grabbed the phone, "Stop trying to scare my wife you sick pervert."  
  
"Your wife . . . (laughing) . . . you're not the only one she's been close with recently."  
  
A.J. looked at Courtney who was a mix of upset, confused, and angry.  
  
"You're a liar." He said into the phone.  
  
"If you don't believe me, ask your brother."  
  
A.J. was silent on the other end of the line. He turned to Courtney again and saw that she was not looking towards him anymore, she was looking outside at Jason.  
  
"Tell Daisy, I'll see her soon." The man on the other line said before hanging up.  
  
When A.J. put down the phone, Courtney turned around. Her eyes met his and she could see that something was amiss.  
  
"What . . . what did he say?"  
  
"You and Jason?" He asked.  
  
She tried to think of something but nothing came to mind. There were no customers to run to or excuses to get her out of this. She had to be honest. A.J. deserved her honesty.  
  
"Yes. But it was just a kiss!"  
  
He started walking towards the door.  
  
She got in his way, "A.J. I can explain! It's not what you think!"  
  
"A kiss is never just a kiss, Courtney." He said, and then pushed her aside and rushed through the door.  
  
Jason was nowhere in sight. He let out a frustrated wail before knocking over one of the tables.  
  
Courtney had followed him out, "A.J., stop!"  
  
He ignored her and started walking away in hopes of catching up with his brother.  
  
She called after him but he did not even pause in his pursuit. She looked around at the mess. She picked up a chair that had been knocked over, sat down, and tried to assess the situation.  
  
A moment later she got up and ran towards the phone inside. She dialed Jason's number quickly but heard only a busy signal.  
  
She slammed down the phone. The bell above the door jingled and she turned at the noise. * * * When Zander returned, Elizabeth had already made up her mind. She was tired of getting hurt by Jason and everyone else. She was going to get revenge, even if it meant playing dirty.  
  
"So?" He asked, when he opened the door, "Decide yet?"  
  
"What should I do?" She asked.  
  
He smiled.  
  
"When you were with Jason after you broke up with Lucky, was he upset?"  
  
"Yes, but that's because he hates Jason . . ."  
  
"So, if you were dating someone they both hated, wouldn't that make them upset and jealous, like you felt when you caught them with Sarah and Courtney?"  
  
"Yes, but who am . . ." She stopped in mid-sentence as soon as she realized what he meant. "Zander, I'm not sure. I don't want our relationship to get ruined in some attempt to get back at Lucky and Jason."  
  
"Elizabeth, it won't. We will never say that we are together, so it's not a lie. It's just that we won't tell them we aren't together."  
  
She considered it. On the one hand, it would be sure to get Jason and Lucky upset. But on the other hand, her relationship with Zander was fragile at best.  
  
Zander interrupted her thoughts, "Elizabeth, this is the only way as far as I can see. Do you have any ideas?"  
  
A moment later, without any other plans formed, she pushed all of her rational thoughts aside, "Okay. I'll do it."  
  
Zander smiled, it was exactly what he wanted to hear.  
  
* * * Jason did not walk Courtney to Kelly's the next morning. She walked with another of Sonny's bodyguards. She believed that this was Jason's way of putting distance between them. But when she arrived, Jason was waiting. He said goodbye to Marco and they both went inside together.  
  
"Why are you here?" She asked, confused.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you got here safely."  
  
"Thank you. But you don't have to worry, I'm fine."  
  
"Actually, that's not the only reason I came. I need to talk to Elizabeth."  
  
Courtney looked around, "That's funny. Usually she's here long before me."  
  
Jason looked around. The chairs were still on top of the tables and he could see a pile of plates in the kitchen. No one had been here to get the diner ready to open.  
  
Courtney started to pull down the chairs and instantly Jason figured the culprit.  
  
"Jason, do you think she didn't come because she was still upset?" Courtney asked.  
  
After a few moments hearing nothing she turned to see that Jason was gone.  
  
*** "I'm not wearing this." She said, stepping out of the bathroom.  
  
"Why not? You look beautiful." He commented.  
  
"Come on, Zander. I look like I should be 'hanging out on the docks' if you know what I mean."  
  
"Didn't you say you use to dress like this?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's been a while. And now it's just uncomfortable."  
  
"It doesn't look uncomfortable." He said, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"Then you put it on." She fired back.  
  
"Elizabeth, you want them to notice the change in your personality and demeanor because of our 'relationship'. We both agreed on that."  
  
"But I didn't think it would require a drastic wardrobe change." She said, looking down at her outfit, "I've never worn a shirt like this."  
  
"You should considering wearing it more often." He joked.  
  
She looked up and shot him a dirty look. Behind him on the wall she noticed the clock.  
  
"Damn! I was supposed to be there a half an hour ago." She said, grabbing her jacket and purse.  
  
He smiled, picked up his own coat, and shut the door behind her.  
  
* * * On the way to Elizabeth's studio, Jason ran into Lucky and Nikolas.  
  
"Looking for Elizabeth?" Lucky asked in passing, "She's not at her studio."  
  
Jason stopped, "Do you know where she is?"  
  
"No. She didn't come home last night either." Lucky answered.  
  
"Let me guess, it had something to do with you?" Nikolas shot out.  
  
Jason did not even respond to Nikolas.  
  
"How'd you know she didn't come home?"  
  
"I was waiting to apologize and I waited all night." He answered.  
  
Jason was use to working alone and did not want the help of two men he despised. But his thoughts of what could possibly be happening to her made him change his ways. He knew that these men both cared about Elizabeth and despite their differences he knew they would not stop until she was safe.  
  
"Elizabeth didn't show up for her shift." He voiced.  
  
Lucky and Nikolas looked at eachother, knowing that their responsible friend wasn't likely to miss a shift unless there was a reason.  
  
"What are you thinking?" Nikolas asked Lucky as he noticed his expression change.  
  
But Lucky had an inkling that Jason knew more than he was letting on. Lucky believed he knew exactly what it was.  
  
"Tom Baker is out, isn't he?" He asked Jason.  
  
Nikolas' expression changed drastically, "What?"  
  
Jason confirmed Lucky's suspicions without words.  
  
"Since when?" Lucky demanded.  
  
"I got the call yesterday.", he started, shooting Nikolas a cold glare, "But I was interrupted. When I called back this morning I found out that he's been out for at least a week."  
  
"That would have been plenty of time to get to Port Charles from Pentonville and find Elizabeth." Lucky stated.  
  
The three men looked at eachother and hoped they were wrong.  
  
"Where do we begin?" Nikolas asked.  
  
* * * Courtney was in the back as the bell jingled above the door. She was ducked down putting some pots and pans away in the cupboard and heard the laughter.  
  
She stood up but whomever had come in was out of her line of vision. She stepped out into the diner and saw Zander and Elizabeth consorting near the juke box.  
  
Zander noticed Courtney but she didn't notice him see her and he instantly went into acting mode. He pulled Elizabeth close and planted a fiery kiss on her lips.  
  
Courtney was taken back by the kiss and stood there surprised. Then, as their lips separated, Elizabeth started, "Zander, what the hell?"  
  
Courtney cleared her throat.  
  
Zander and Elizabeth turned, only one truly surprised and the other feigning it.  
  
"Oh, hey Courtney." Elizabeth said, then put an arm around Zander, "Didn't see ya there. When did you get in?"  
  
"I've been here for at least twenty minutes. Where have you been?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.  
  
"We were up late." Zander answered and gave Elizabeth a naughty look.  
  
Elizabeth wanted to hit him but she restrained herself to a dirty look.  
  
"Well, I have to work. See ya MUCH later." Elizabeth said, separating herself from his arm.  
  
Courtney was still watching so Zander gave her a long kiss and with a wide smile left.  
  
"So, something you want to tell me?" Courtney asked, jokingly.  
  
"No, not really." Elizabeth said while removing her jacket.  
  
For two seconds she had almost forgotten the outfit hidden underneath but Courtney quickly brought her back to reality when her eyes became really wide.  
  
Elizabeth just walked casually into the kitchen and got her apron.  
  
"Ready to open?" She asked, nonchalant.  
  
"Sure." Courtney said, wandering what drugs had provoked the sudden change in Elizabeth.  
  
As Elizabeth turned the sign, Courtney stopped herself from saying anything. They were talking, not fighting, and she was glad. But the less naïve side of her wondered why. 


	7. Tom Makes an Apperance

A/N; Sorry for the update taking so long. My Internet service has been on the fritz. I made it longer than normal to make up for it. Enjoy!  
"So, how long have you and Zander been close?" Courtney asked, curious.  
  
"For a while. But we had a falling out over Jason a while back and I chose Jason over him. My mistake."  
  
"Oh." Courtney said, not sure how to avoid the topic of Jason.  
  
"But it's better this way. I know that no matter what, Zander won't lie to me. Sure, he's far from perfect, but I'm not going to let Jason ruin my life more than he has."  
  
Courtney said nothing, still not sure that Elizabeth was being honest. Something still seemed off.  
  
"What's with the clothes?" She asked, hoping she wouldn't hit a sour note.  
  
"Oh, these old things.", Elizabeth said as she looked down at her outfit, "I use to dress like this all the time."  
  
"Use to?"  
  
"Long before you came to town. Even before I met Jason. I dressed all goody-goody for Lucky and then Jason; he goes after that type to. And who was I not to oblige?"  
  
"So it was all just an act?" Courtney asked, still not believing what Elizabeth was preaching.  
  
"I wouldn't call it an act. But everyone does it. Around this guy you dress one way but you run into someone else who likes it another way and you change your life to suit theirs. That's how it always happens."  
  
"So Zander likes you like this?"  
  
"He likes it, but this isn't for him. This is for me. I've decided that I'm not going to be whom everyone wants me to be, or expects me to be. I'm just going to be myself." She said, despite the fact she was looking down at the outfit in pure disgust.  
  
Courtney didn't catch on.  
  
After their conversation, Elizabeth spent most of the morning in the back washing dishes, not wanting to be seen by the public in her outfit. Having not worn anything this revealing since before her rape, she became very nervous. The idea that Tom was out, something she had tried to block out by planning revenge on Lucky and Jason, brought back many feelings that were becoming more overwhelming by the minute.  
  
Courtney noticed the change but said nothing, still not wanting to get on Elizabeth's bad side again. She had not meant to hurt her and hoped that she could win back her friend's trust.  
  
The bell above the door jingled and Courtney, who had been sitting at the counter reading a magazine, looked up. She recognized the man from the day before. He had come into Kelly's after her fight with A.J.  
  
Last time he had just come in and looked around and left. She had wondered if she would ever see the strange man again or if he was just merely passing through.  
  
"Hello, again." She greeted him cheerfully as he sat down at a table.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"The specials today are tuna salad on wheat, chicken salad on . . ."  
  
She got interrupted, "Not another word, sweetie, I know just what I want."  
  
The way he said it made her seem very uncomfortable in her own skin. She instantly went on alert as the last phone call from her stalker came to mind.  
  
"What would that be?" She asked, trying to remain calm.  
  
"Bacon, eggs, and toast with orange juice. I want the eggs over easy, the bacon on the side with some pepper, and the toast not burned. . ." He started.  
  
Courtney hastily wrote down the order.  
  
". . . got all that, sweetie?"  
  
"Yes. I'll get your juice and give your order to the cook."  
  
As Courtney dropped the order off she noticed that Elizabeth was now just sitting in the back next to the sink still full of dishes.  
  
"Something wrong?" Courtney asked, hoping she wouldn't regret it.  
  
Elizabeth snapped out of her trance, "I'm sorry. It's just . . . never mind."  
  
Courtney did not want to pry and make Elizabeth feel uncomfortable but it was pretty obvious that something was wrong.  
  
"Elizabeth, if you need to go home, I can take care of everything until Penny comes in."  
  
Elizabeth looked up at Courtney and for a moment wanted to tell her everything on her mind. How at that very moment she felt something she had not felt in many years, HIS presence. How she felt like jumping out of her own skin and running into the arms one person, one man. But then she realized that she was about to pour out her weaknesses to the same person that had helped Jason break her heart and she closed off once again.  
  
"Cold shiver down my spine, that's it." She said, getting back up and starting on the dishes.  
  
"I know what you mean." Courtney mumbled as she went back outside with the juice for her only customer.  
  
* * * Jason did not want to admit it, but he needed help from Lucky and Nikolas. They had firsthand witnessed what Tom had done in the past.  
  
"You two are the experts." He said, stolid.  
  
"We could alert Taggart that Tom might be back in town." Nikolas suggested.  
  
"If Tom doesn't make a move, Taggart can't do anything." Lucky stated.  
  
"Elizabeth is missing! Her rapist is out on the street as of a week ago. That is enough information for him to look into it." Nikolas added.  
  
Jason got an idea, "Tom was a photographer. If he got out of jail then he would have to find means to support himself."  
  
Lucky agreed, "I can go back to where he use to work and check a few things out. I'm a photographer so it would make sense for me to look for studio space."  
  
"What can I do?" Nikolas asked.  
  
"Use your resources to find out all you can about Tom. Especially if he has a family residence nearby." Jason suggested.  
  
"Then what are you going to do?" Lucky asked.  
  
Jason considered his options, "I'll talk to Taggart."  
  
Both men were stunned by his admission.  
  
"You go to Taggart?" Nikolas asked, almost on the verge of laughter.  
  
Jason did not want to explain himself to Lucky or Nikolas, but he wanted to stay at least civil with them in hopes that their combined efforts could help Elizabeth.  
  
"He helped me before." He said, and with that was off.  
  
Both Nikolas and Lucky looked at eachother.  
  
"You do realize that the second he finds anything he is going to run and try to be her savior, don't you?" Nikolas stated.  
  
"I would too, especially if she is in the hands of that creep." Lucky stated, and took of in the opposite direction.  
  
Nikolas let out a sigh and went on his way.  
  
"I hope we're wrong." He mumbled to no one.  
  
* * * When Courtney delivered the juice, he thanked her with a smile. But something about the smile seemed sinister and she just turned away.  
  
"Miss?" He called.  
  
She turned back around, "I was just wondering, how long have you worked here?"  
  
"Why?" Courtney asked, suspicious.  
  
"I use to be intimate friends with a waitress who worked here. I was just wondering if you could possibly give some information about her."  
  
Courtney did not relax, "I haven't worked here that long."  
  
"Oh, I see. It has been a few years so she must've left before you came."  
  
Courtney studied the man's features and deduced that she had never seen him in the strip club. Perhaps she was getting nervous for nothing.  
  
"A few of the waitresses here have been here for years. She could still work here." She offered to the man who seemed a little eager.  
  
He took a sip of his juice and then licked his lips. The same sinister smile appeared before he began, "Off the top of my mind I cannot remember her name," He started, "She was a brunette naturally, but had the softest color dye in her hair then. It was down to her shoulders, at times she wore it straight but other times she wore it curled. Very petite girl, slender, soft flawless porcelain skin. And bold blue eyes, large, with such passion within them."  
  
Courtney said nothing, the man's description of the woman made her even more uncomfortable.  
  
"Anyone you know?" He asked, sounding a little to eager.  
  
"Order up." Elizabeth called from the back.  
  
His focus went towards the voice and instantly the pieces fell into place. Courtney realized he was describing Elizabeth.  
  
"Another waitress in the back?" He asked.  
  
"No. The owner is here." She said, stating the first thing that came to her mind.  
  
"Invite her out. I'd love to compliment her on her diner." He said, a strange look in his eyes.  
  
Before anything came to her mind to say, she walked towards the back. Elizabeth was still washing dishes.  
  
"I was about to call you again. I thought you didn't hear me." She said, and then turned to face her.  
  
Elizabeth could tell that something was amiss.  
  
"What?" She asked, worried.  
  
Courtney did not want to frighten Elizabeth and have her inadvertently alert the man in the diner. But the way Elizabeth looked at her she could tell that Elizabeth just knew that something was wrong. And then Courtney remembered something.  
  
**"A few years ago I was raped."**  
  
**"I use to be intimate friends with a waitress who worked here."**  
  
"Elizabeth, go home." She suggested.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You don't need to be here. It's slow. Penny comes in soon. Don't worry. Take some time off."  
  
Elizabeth did not take Courtney's concern as sincere and instantly went on the defensive, "Have you got Jason out there? Want some alone time? Don't want to get interrupted?"  
  
"No. It's not that."  
  
"It is him, isn't it? Now he cannot even face me?" She asked, her voice higher than normal.  
  
"Miss?" The customer's voice could be heard through the back from the diner.  
  
"We have customers, guess no time for touchy-feely with Jason. Save that for your lunch break." Elizabeth said, and then turned around to do the dishes again.  
  
"I'll be out in a second sir." She yelled.  
  
She got closer to Elizabeth, "Get out of here. Call the police. Call Jason. Call Sonny. Just get help." Courtney said, and then left to go back out into the diner.  
  
Was the diner being robbed? What was the trouble? Why did Courtney want her to leave? She started walking towards the front but the clicking of her heals on the linoleum was making a lot of noise. She unzipped the boots and left them there. She walked slowly towards the front and then ducked behind the counter.  
  
"Ms. Spencer didn't want to come out. She says she a mess from cooking." Courtney stated, and then Elizabeth could hear her place the plate down on the table.  
  
"Spencer, you say?" The man inquired.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Is she any relation to Lucky Spencer?" He asked.  
  
Elizabeth tried to listen close to his voice but still could not identify him.  
  
"Yes. Do you know Lucky?" Courtney asked, taken back by the man's knowledge of Lucky.  
  
"Not very well. I wanted to share something with him but he got a little greedy and wanted it all to himself. Is Ms. Spencer his wife?" He said, with the same sinister look.  
  
"No, his aunt. His aunt and father run the diner."  
  
"Oh, I see. Did Lucky ever get married? I heard he was going to."  
  
"No, he's not. I mean-he didn't." Courtney said, feeling in her gut that this was the man that had raped Elizabeth.  
  
Elizabeth, still crouched behind the counter could not for the life of her identify the speaker. Why would Courtney want her to leave and get help?  
  
"Would you like anything else?" Courtney asked.  
  
Elizabeth heard some change jingle. "Please, put some music on." he said, offering it to her. Elizabeth heard her shoes click as she walked over to the jukebox.  
  
Believing this was her chance; Elizabeth raised her head slightly above the counter so she could see the man Courtney was so afraid of.  
  
When she saw him she froze momentarily but had enough sense to duck out of view. When she had felt his presence earlier, she had been correct. How come she didn't instantly recognize his voice? Elizabeth realized that she should've listened to her instincts and punished herself mentally for just ignoring them.  
  
But what she had told Zander that very morning was still true, no matter the circumstances. She was no longer going to let anyone walk all over her, especially HIM. She took a deep breath and started to silently crawl back into the kitchen.  
  
She could softly hear music playing but the words did not register. She had to get out without alerting him. She looked towards the back door but knew she would never be able to move the refrigerator in front of it by herself.  
  
She silently cursed herself as she looked around for any other escape.  
  
Back in the diner, Courtney had retreated to the counter and heard nothing from the back. She hoped that Elizabeth had gotten out and found help. At this point, she wished for anyone to come, even if it was Coleman.  
  
Her spirits rose briefly as the bells above the door jingled. She looked up to see Zander come into the diner.  
  
"Hey Courtney," he said, coming up to the counter, "looks alive in here."  
  
"Yeah." She said, trying to say it as calm as possible.  
  
"So, where's Elizabeth? Kitchen?" He asked, and Courtney swallowed hard.  
  
She did not even look over to see the man's expression. At that moment Zander was her only hope but she instantly thought of a way to throw the man off track and hopefully help save herself.  
  
"She left with Jason five minutes after you dropped her off. They looked pretty . . . close." She stated, making sure to emphasize the fact that Elizabeth was not there.  
  
Zander banged his fist on the counter.  
  
"Thanks." He said harshly and walked off.  
  
Courtney hoped that Zander would go straight to Jason.  
  
But the second she turned back towards the man, he was staring directly at her.  
  
He stood up and walked over, "I need some answers and I'm sure you have them for me."  
  
Courtney then realized that she had sent someone away who could have been her only hope. She silently prayed that it wasn't a deadly mistake.  
  
* * * Lucky's heart became black with anger as he saw the building where Tom use to have a studio. For a second his mind flashed back to the night he pulled Elizabeth up from the snow. She looked so terrified and at that moment he had wished nothing more than to find the man who did it and kill him.  
  
But Elizabeth had needed him to help her rebuild her life. He had just pushed down his anger, assuming that he would never have the chance to act on it. And when Tom was arrested, Lucky had felt a slight bit of justice had been served. But now, nothing stopped him from killing the man.  
  
Lucky was not violent by nature but he wanted so much to hurt this man. He wanted to beat him bloody and watch him suffer. But he knew that if he did this then he would be no better than Tom. So he pushed these thoughts aside, and opened the door.  
  
As soon as the door was opened he was encountered by the smell of decay. Everything around him was dusty and broken.  
  
He was about to leave; believing an investigation of the building would be fruitless, when he noticed shoe prints disturbing the dust. He followed the tracks down some stairs into the basement of the building.  
  
Lucky pulled out his lighter, something he had always carried per Luke's advice, and lit up the area with the small flame. He followed the footprints to the farthest corner of the room. As the light from his flame fell upon the wall he stopped short and gasped.  
  
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Nikolas.  
  
* * * The moment that Jason stepped into the police station, Taggart's eyes fell upon him. He pulled the toothpick that he had been chewing on since lunch out of his mouth and could not help himself from smiling arrogantly.  
  
"Jason Morgan coming into the PCPD without police escort? Another one of Sonny's goons get arrested that I don't know about?" He heckled.  
  
Jason said nothing and Taggart wasn't the least bit surprised.  
  
"Okay, you're giving me the silent treatment. Not surprised." He said, and with that went back to filling out the case reports he had been working on.  
  
But then Taggart momentarily thought back to the last time Jason had been here without police escort. He didn't even think twice, "Please tell me I'm paranoid, Morgan. The last time you were here, without cuffs, Elizabeth Webber was missing. Is that why you're here?"  
  
The last thing Jason wanted to do was deal with Taggart and his arrogance but he knew that the cop had a soft spot when it came to Elizabeth Webber. Taggart had seen her suffer through the rape investigation and watched as she mourned Lucky's death. How could anyone not feel something for her after witnessing her outpour of emotions?  
  
"Tom Baker is out of jail." He informed Taggart.  
  
For a moment Jason could almost see something in Taggart's eyes.  
  
"I didn't get that memo, Morgan." He said, standing up from his desk and searching around in his stacks of paper.  
  
"Let me guess, inside information from one of your lackeys?" Taggart asked.  
  
"She didn't show up for work this morning. She didn't come home last night. She hasn't been heard from since yesterday afternoon."  
  
"Maybe she's trying to avoid you." Taggart suggested, picking up his coat and badge.  
  
Jason said nothing, not wanting to give Taggart any satisfaction.  
  
He started walking towards the door, "Morgan, which one of Sonny's enemies is out to get you? That would be the first place I'd start."  
  
Jason said nothing and just followed. As the got out of the building, Jason turned off his cell phone. He did not want work to interrupt his search.  
  
* * * "Thanks, Andreas." He said, and then turned off his phone.  
  
He got out of his car and walked into the building. His mind occupied with a thousand images of Tom, Emily, and Elizabeth from years ago.  
  
"Lucky?" He called into the vacant building.  
  
"Down here." Came his voice, from somewhere deeper into the building.  
  
"Lucky, I can't see. Can you come to me?" He asked.  
  
Nikolas could see nothing inside the building but heard his brother approaching. He could see the small flame, as it grew larger.  
  
"What did you want me to see?" He called out to the flame.  
  
A moment later he could see Lucky. Lucky took hold of his arm and maneuvered him through the room to the stairs that led into the basement. Once there he led him across the room again to the farthest wall.  
  
Lucky held the flame close to the wall to help Nikolas see what he had called him there to see, the hundreds of images and clippings.  
  
Nikolas focused on one article specifically:  
  
"FIRE AT LOCAL DINER CONTAINED  
  
Small blaze, at local diner Kelly's, was started in the kitchen yesterday evening. Owner of the diner, Luke Spencer, was on the scene as well as Felicia Scorpio-Jones, the former wife of Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio. Fire fighters at the scene blame the fire on a small grease fire that went out of control due to improper methods to distinguish the flame. Four borders with rooms above the diner got out safely. No injuries reported at this time."  
  
Next to the article was the accompanying picture of the front of the diner with smoke coming through the front door. To the side of the doorway was Elizabeth standing with Lucky looking terrified.  
  
Nikolas glanced at other articles, each having something to do inadvertently to Elizabeth, have mention of her name, or contain a photograph that included her. Then there were separate single photographs taken after her rape. The last picture taken shortly before Tom was sent to prison.  
  
Nikolas glanced at Lucky.  
  
"That fire happened after he went to prison." Nikolas noted.  
  
"Most of the articles pertain to events that took place after. Prisoners have access to the paper. He must have collected them." Lucky added.  
  
Nikolas focused on another article that littered the wall:  
  
"DECEPTION PRESIDENT'S SON TO MARRY SPOKESMODEL  
  
Lucky Spencer, son of Laura Spencer and photographer for label, to wed Elizabeth Webber. Readers may recall Ms. Webber as one of the choices for the 'Face of Deception' campaign. In a shocking similarity, Nikolas Cassidine, estranged son of president Laura Spencer, is currently dating the second candidate for the position of the 'Face', Gia Campbell. Neither Ms. Spencer or the couple had any comments at press time."  
  
The picture to the right of the article featured Elizabeth with Lucky, according to the caption. However, Lucky's face was cut out of the picture.  
  
"That sick bastard."  
  
"Any idea where he's headed?" Lucky asked, hopeful for any leads.  
  
"His mother lives in Port Charles. Her house is barely a block away from Audrey's house."  
  
Without wasting anymore time, the two started out towards the car.  
  
* * * "I'm not sure what you're talking about." Courtney said, playing ignorance.  
  
"You know." He said, then took hold of her arm and forcefully dragged her out from behind the counter.  
  
He pulled her towards the doorway despite her efforts and locked the door. He shoved her into a chair at the corner table and sat down next to her.  
  
"Elizabeth. Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know." She answered, scared.  
  
"You told that kid that she went off with Jason? Who's Jason?"  
  
"Jason Morgan. He works for Sonny Corinthos." She answered.  
  
"I'm familiar with the name, sweetheart." He said.  
  
"I'm Sonny's sister. If anything happens to me . . ."She began.  
  
He laughed in her face, "Yeah, and I'm Elvis. You look nothing like Sonny. Don't pull that shit with me, girlie."  
  
She said nothing. He pulled out of his coat pocket some thin rope that almost looked like a clothesline. He tied her to the chair and then started pacing the floor of the restaurant.  
  
"Her and her friends got me convicted. I'm never going back there. She is going to pay." He mumbled to no one imparticular.  
  
"Where does she live?" He demanded.  
  
"I'm not sure. We're not that close . . ." She started.  
  
He banged his fist on the table, "You're not helping yourself, blondie."  
  
He started rubbing his brow in frustration when a noise came from within the kitchen. Courtney tried not to flinch at the sound but could not help herself from peeking. He noticed.  
  
The man went towards the kitchen to investigate the noise. Courtney eagerly and hastily pulled the rope around her wrist. It came loose rather quickly and she jumped out of the chair and lunged towards the door.  
  
She unlocked it and thrust it open and ran, leaving Elizabeth alone to fend for herself against her rapist.  
  
* * * Elizabeth had been in the back to hear the entire conversation. However, she was only partially listening as she tried to figure a way to escape without alerting Tom.  
  
She had been hopeful when Zander came in that he would save them, but Courtney sent him away with some lame story.  
  
Her next plan had been to run up the steps into Lucky's room. She still had the key in her purse and then she could climb down the fire escape. Of course, she hadn't thought of that before crawling back into the kitchen. And when she did think of it, Tom was in a position that he would catch her long before she made it to her purse.  
  
With no other means of escape, Elizabeth started to think of tools she could use to protect herself and Courtney. She took a spray bottle and filled it pepper, chili powder, and water from the sink where she had been washing the dishes. She cut off the end of the sprayer with a knife to make sure that the pepper and chili would make it through the little filters of the bottle.  
  
She considered pouring a slippery liquid on the floor but thought against it when she realized it might deter her own escape.  
  
Then she set a pan full of water on the burner at full heat it hopes that she might be able to use it in the future.  
  
In her search for anything else to use as a weapon, she knocked a can off the shelf. She turned in time to see him approach but luckily he did not see her. Just as he was about to, the diner door slammed and Tom turned back around to see that Courtney was gone.  
  
"Shit." He muttered to himself. 


	8. Surprise!

As Tom walked back and forth in the diner, contemplating his next move, Elizabeth remained hidden from his view in the kitchen.  
  
Moments after Courtney's exit, Elizabeth had planned her course of action. But she was still stuck on the first step, confronting Tom. She knew that by doing this she was putting herself in danger. Not just physical danger, but the danger that she might endure mentally. She never wanted to relive the time in her life where she had to depend on Lucky to survive.  
  
She knew she was stronger than she use to be. The Elizabeth this man had attacked was a naïve girl, and she was a woman now. He was the coward, the one who attacked people in the dark so he would not have to face up to his crimes.  
  
But he was going to face her and this time she was going to make sure that he'd pay for hurting her. Sure, he had paid before, being convicted and sent to Pentonville. But it was Emily that put him there; he had only been convicted of what he'd done to her.  
  
Tom had yet to pay for what he'd done to Elizabeth.  
  
She picked up her boots and put them back on. If she was going to stand up to him, she wasn't going to sneak up; she was determined to make her presence known.  
  
He heard the clicking of her heals against the floor as she approached. He knew someone was coming but he hadn't known it would be her. He paused in mid-stride; convinced it was all in his head.  
  
Convinced that the figure before him, clad in a deep red halter midriff- bearing leather top, black leather skirt, and knee-high black leather boots, was just a figment of his sick mind, provoked him to pinch himself.  
  
She didn't disappear. She was there, before him, his to enjoy. He inspected her closer, her deep red-painted lips and blue eyes exaggerated by dark shadow and eyeliner, and her porcelain skin that was still just as he remembered. He licked his lips in anticipation.  
  
She began, "I spent too long trying to erase the memory of what you did to me. I spent too long stopping my life from moving forward and letting what you did control me. But I got over that. I am over that. You no longer have power over me because I'm here, still standing, stronger. You forced me to become strong, to fight. When I'm thru with you, you will wish you never laid a hand on me."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Taggart and Jason barely had the chance to leave the police station before being bombarded by Zander.  
  
"Where the hell is she?" He demanded.  
  
"So, you've caught on Mr. Smith. Congratulations." Taggart said, mockingly.  
  
Zander ignored his comment, "Where did you take her?"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jason asked, frustrated with Zander.  
  
"Courtney told me you showed up at Kelly's and took off with Elizabeth."  
  
Taggart looked at him, "When was this?"  
  
"This morning."  
  
"She was at Kelly's?" Taggart asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So you didn't bother to check where she worked Morgan before you took me out on this goose hunt?" Taggart asked.  
  
Jason thought about it. Why would Courtney say he took Elizabeth? He couldn't think of an answer but knew that if anyone could shed some light, it would be Courtney.  
  
"I haven't gone to Kelly's today. But if Courtney saw her this morning, she might know where she went." Jason offered to Taggart.  
  
Taggart, confused, silently agreed and they started out towards Kelly's.  
  
They left Zander standing there even more confused. But he already knew what he had to do. He took off in the opposite direction.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Lucky and Nikolas hesitated at the door of the old house.  
  
"Maybe we should get Taggart to do this." Lucky suggested, remembering what had happened the last time they had decided against police involvement.  
  
Nikolas turned to look around and could see Audrey's house. It angered him to know that all along Tom had been this close.  
  
"Lucky, if you can't do this, it's understandable. You know better than anyone how Elizabeth was affected by her rape. How for months we searched to no avail. And then to have him just fall into our laps while trying to help Emily. If he is hurting her again, this time we know who he is and we can bring him to justice. Elizabeth deserves at least that. God, she deserves so much more. But if we can do this for her, let's."  
  
"If he is hurting her . . ." Lucky started, ready to pounce.  
  
But an older woman coming up the porch stairs interrupted him.  
  
"What are you hooligans doing hanging around my porch?"  
  
Lucky and Nikolas turned towards the woman. Nikolas was the first to speak, "We were wondering if your son Tom was home."  
  
"Haven't seen him since he got out. He just forgot about his old mama and is probably off doing something stupid. What do you want him for?"  
  
"We were just trying to find out where he was."  
  
She opened her door, "Wait here."  
  
She came back out a second later with a large cardboard box.  
  
"When you find that ungrateful son of mine, give him this and tell him he's not welcome at his mama's house." She said, shoving it at Nikolas.  
  
He took it and the old woman went inside and slammed her door.  
  
Nikolas and Lucky went back to the car and started sorting through the stuff. It was Lucky who laid his hands on the black mask. As soon as he laid his hands on it he wanted to find Tom and kill him. He threw it back in the box.  
  
Nikolas saw it and suddenly got an idea, "That could be evidence."  
  
"I can't do this! I can go rummaging through his stuff. Everything I touch reminds me of what he did to her, and to Emily, and it makes me want to kill him even more."  
  
"I want to hurt him too, Lucky. But if we do this wrong, he'll just go free again." He said, but stopped mid-thought when his hand landed on a small metal box.  
  
He pulled it out and opened it, "My God . . ."  
  
Lucky walked over and looked inside, "That bastard!"  
  
Nikolas closed the box, "Let's get all this to the police station."  
  
They both jumped in Nikolas' car and drove off.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The first place Courtney had gone after leaving the diner was the pay phone on the docks. She dialed Jason's number but only got his answering service.  
  
"Jason! This is important, as soon as you get this you have to go straight to ." She started, but was cut off by the beep.  
  
"Shit!" She muttered to no one, considering her next move.  
  
She considered running towards Harborview Towers, hoping she would find Sonny or Jason there. It was too far to get to the police station on foot and she wasn't about to wait for a cab.  
  
Before she could do anything, the phone rang. She ran to it instinctively, thinking it was Jason. She was wrong.  
  
"Jason! Thank God-"  
  
"This isn't Jason, Daisy." The man said, sounding out of breath.  
  
"Leave me the hell alone!" She said, and then slammed the phone down in the cartridge.  
  
She started towards Harborview Towers but did not see the man emerge from behind her. He took his gun and put it against the small of her back.  
  
"Don't turn around. Don't scream. Don't think about running. This gun is loaded. I have no intention of using it unless you don't follow my instructions."  
  
"Why me?" She asked, horrified.  
  
"Don't you see? It was never about you. It's always been about Jason."  
  
She recognized the voice but could not place it. She wanted to keep him talking.  
  
"What did Jason do?"  
  
Still holding the gun on her back, the man held in front of her a blindfold.  
  
"Put this on."  
  
She did as she was told, not wanting to anger her assailant.  
  
When he was sure the blindfold was on, he took her by the arm and started dragging her with him.  
  
"Don't make this harder than it has to be. I don't want to hurt you." He said, almost sounding sincere.  
  
She started moving forward willingly, hoping her cooperation would help her down the road.  
  
"Where are you taking me?" She asked, hopeful for a slip-up.  
  
"The last place anyone will ever come looking." He said, giving her no hope.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Tom started to laugh, trying to unnerve Elizabeth.  
  
"You put up a fight last time too."  
  
Elizabeth held fast to the sprayer bottle out of his view.  
  
"You're not going to get away with anything this time."  
  
"You're still the same small, fragile, girlie I broke years ago. I can easily do that again." He said, with a sinister smile.  
  
He moved closer to her. Before she had the chance to react he knocked the sprayer bottle out of her hand. She got loose of his grip and ran to the back of the diner, into the kitchen. She grabbed the pot of water and hurled it at him.  
  
She had hurled it too soon and it missed him and just coated the floor. He smiled, realizing her preparation had done her no good.  
  
She ran back into the diner and tried to get the sprayer bottle. But she slipped and fell, landing in the hot water. Her skin instantly began to burn and she was thankful when he pulled her up out of the water.  
  
He took her hands and pulled them behind her back. He grabbed the rope off of the floor and tied her wrists together.  
  
"Not feeling too LUCKY now, are we?" He began, "You're little boyfriend came late last time to."  
  
She began to squirm to try and free herself from the ropes and his grip to no avail.  
  
He pulled her behind the counter and threw her too the floor. She was motionless as he stood over her a moment, smiling sinisterly.  
  
"Been practicing since last time?" He asked, mockingly.  
  
"Did you let Lucky get lucky?" He asked, before laughing sinisterly.  
  
He knelt down before her and unzipped each boot and slipped them off.  
  
"Please don't . . ." She begged, the words slipping out like a whisper.  
  
"Don't say a word." He said, the words triggering memories from their last encounter.  
  
She shivered, momentarily being reduced to that naïve girl once again. But she did not allow herself to slip that far back. She pulled herself back and knew that she could outsmart him. She had the advantage of knowing Kelly's inside and out.  
  
But her problem was overpowering him.  
  
He began to unzip her top, a sinister smile on his face growing more grotesque by the second.  
  
He leaned forward and started kissing her neck. His kisses traveled to her collarbone and she wanted to gag.  
  
With all her strength, she shifted her legs underneath him and kneed him in the groin. He grimaced in pain and in reflex bit down into her flesh.  
  
Then she remembered that there was a first aid kit underneath the counter, where she might be able to reach. The first aid kit had scissors in it for cutting bandages.  
  
She tried to block out what he was doing and focused on rescuing herself. She could see the box and knew if her arms were free she could easily reach. But with her arms tied, there was a problem.  
  
She tried to turn but his weight made it difficult.  
  
A noise was heard at the door, a sound like someone was trying to force open the door.  
  
Tom took notice and stopped. He moved slightly so he could see the doorway. It gave Elizabeth enough momentary freedom to attempt to get the first aid kit.  
  
She knocked the kit from the shelf but her act had not gone unnoticed.  
  
"Say anything, make one noise, and you're dead." He threatened; making it obvious that someone was at the door.  
  
She worked the rope around her wrists and got it loosened. She reached into the first aid kit and grabbed the scissors. She concealed them behind her.  
  
Whatever threat at the door of the diner had ceased, so Tom turned back to her.  
  
"No more interruptions this time." He said as he rubbed one of her legs.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Taggart tried the doors of the diner but they would not budge.  
  
"Looks like nobody's home."  
  
Jason could sense that Elizabeth was inside. He could sense that she was in trouble. He was not about to let a locked door stop him from helping her.  
  
"There are two doors around back. One leads into the kitchen, the other into the basement." Jason informed Taggart.  
  
Both men headed around back.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
With her blindfold on, Courtney tried to figure how far from the docks her captor had taken her. She knew that they were not far away and that gave her hope that if she did escape she would be able to get away.  
  
He stopped to unlock a door and threatened to shoot if she even blinked. The second the door was opened she could smell paint fumes.  
  
He pushed her forward until her knees met the cushions of a couch.  
  
"Sit down." He instructed.  
  
She did as she was told, still frightened, but trying her best to remain calm and gather as much information about her surroundings as possible.  
  
"What did Jason do to you for you to resort to this?"  
  
"He stole my happiness. He stole my love away from me, twice."  
  
"Why choose me?"  
  
He laughed, "It's the only way I can get them to see him for who he truly is. "  
  
"You said that you don't want to hurt me. I believe you. Could you take the blindfold off?"  
  
None of this had been about her. He didn't really want to hurt her. He wanted her to cooperate. Maybe she would if she only understood.  
  
He went behind her, "You must promise not to do anything stupid. I still have a gun."  
  
"I promise."  
  
He untied the blindfold and she turned around.  
  
Shocked, "Zander?"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Elizabeth pulled out the scissors from behind her back and tried to stab Tom in the stomach. Her attempt was unsuccessful and Tom tried to wrestle the scissors out of her grip.  
  
And suddenly a wave of emotion came over her. She felt safe. She felt protected. She knew that Jason was not far away.  
  
Just as she was about to lose hold of the scissors, she heard the scraping and then felt the weight as the register crashed down on them. The weight of the register on Tom caused the scissors to break skin near his abdomen.  
  
Tom wailed out in pain as the weight of the register pushed the scissors further. He could barely move underneath the weight of the antique register and thus could not free himself from the situation.  
  
Elizabeth could not move from underneath the weight. One of her legs was trapped underneath Tom and the register.  
  
Just then she saw Jason and Taggart emerge from the kitchen. They worked together to get the register off of Tom and Elizabeth. Both men pretended to ignore Tom's wails of pain as they focused their attention on Elizabeth's safety.  
  
Taggart moved Tom after securing his wrists in handcuffs. As they moved him, the scissors that were still held in Elizabeth's hands were yanked out. He wailed again but no one seemed interested.  
  
Tom's blood had leaked all over Elizabeth's bare stomach. But the only physical injury she had incurred was a broken leg.  
  
She dropped the scissors to the floor once she saw that Tom was in custody.  
  
Her eyes met Jason's and for a moment they just remained there, unsure how to react in such a situation. Jason hesitated momentarily before wrapping his leather jacket around her to keep her warm. It was the least he could do, he still wasn't sure how close she'd let him get.  
  
She smiled slightly as if to thank him and she caught his eyes again. She could tell that he was blaming himself for the entire incident. She knew it had nothing to do with him. Tom had been out to get her long before Jason Morgan had ever entered her life.  
  
"It's not your fault." She whispered, trying to get him to realize the weight of the world was not solely on his shoulders.  
  
He said nothing, but as always, his eyes told her the answer. That no matter how many times she could tell him he would never truly believe it.  
  
Taggart started pulling Tom out of the diner. But Tom remained uncooperative, and turned to stare at Elizabeth. She did not feel a cold shiver down her spine or scared, she just reveled in the fact that he would be going back to jail.  
  
But the fact that Tom was looking at her made Jason instantly defensive, and he wrapped a protective arm around her. As he held onto her as Tom was taken away, she could feel how much Jason wanted to hurt Tom.  
  
When Taggart and Tom were out of the diner, he turned to look at her as if to asses the damage the man had done.  
  
She tried to lighten the mood, "This doesn't mean I forgive you for kissing Courtney."  
  
She smiled slightly.  
  
He looked at her amazed that after everything she'd been through, she still tried to make him feel better. This woman constantly amazed him. She had been through so much and yet she did not dwell on it, she tried to help someone else. And that moment, if he hadn't already loved her, he would have fallen all over again.  
  
"Tell me how I can make it up to you." He offered.  
  
She smiled.  
  
"To start off, you could help me up. I think my leg might be sprained or broken because of the register." She stated.  
  
But he didn't help her up. He picked her up and carried her outside. With the afternoon sun shining above them he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. She was safe, and he, for the first time in a long while, felt whole with her in his arms. 


	9. Aftermath

"I hate hospitals." Elizabeth said as she stepped off the elevator.  
  
She was no longer being carried in Jason's arms; she just merely leaned on him heavily for support.  
  
"Elizabeth!" Audrey yells out from the nurse's desk and runs over.  
  
"Dear, what happened?" Audrey asked, taking no obvious notice of the man she was leaning on.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm fine. It's probably just sprained." Elizabeth answered, only half-believing what she said but wanting to stop her grandmother from worrying.  
  
"You always did that when you were little too, saying you felt fine when you obviously were in pain." She started, and then whispered, "Thank you, dear."  
  
Elizabeth just smiled and allowed herself to be led by Jason to the waiting area.  
  
"Don't worry dear, I'll get you checked in and make sure a doctor sees you as soon as possible." Audrey offered, and with that was off towards the nurse's station.  
  
It was in that the elevator doors opened and Tom emerged, accompanied by several police officers and Taggart. She instantly fell into his line of vision and he mouthed to her, "This is not the end."  
  
Jason took notice and focused his extreme hatred on this man. He wanted to hurt this man. He wanted to kill this man. It would be quite easy to get it done, but this man deserved to rot for what he did. And he would testify to that, despite his hatred of the witness stand.  
  
Elizabeth was the one that put a comforting hand on his shoulder and guided him back from where he'd been.  
  
He turned back to her and their eyes met.  
  
Before either had the chance to say anything, Audrey interrupted.  
  
"Elizabeth, the doctor can see you now."  
  
Audrey held out a helping hand and Jason helped her stand. She took her grandmother's hand and separated herself from Jason. As she started to walk away she turned back towards Jason and his eyes told her he would wait. She smiled to let him know the message had been received.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Courtney could not believe her eyes. Zander had seemed like such a 'normal' guy.  
  
He sat down next to her and she didn't even fidget.  
  
"Did Jason ever tell you about his sister Emily?"  
  
Courtney thought back, "I don't think so."  
  
"I met her at a rave. It wasn't really her scene and she was obviously uncomfortable. I was a dealer then, and she was an easy target. Not only did I slip something in her drink that night, I kidnapped her later on. But, surprisingly, she saw something in me that no one else had ever seen. When the whole thing was over, she chose me, despite warnings from her friends-and her brother. But Emily had a horrible accident and had to go to a special hospital to get rehabilitated. I was in danger and I didn't want her to be in danger, so I never learned the location."  
  
"What does this have to do with Jason?" Courtney asked, confused.  
  
"Jason was not my biggest supporter. His opinion mattered to her more than most."  
  
"You said that he stole your love away from you twice?"  
  
"I was getting over Emily, and Elizabeth was getting over Lucky. Elizabeth had never been a big supporter of mine, but she was honest and always tried to be civil for Emily's sake. I really appreciated that and in a way we grew on eachother. When she was kidnapped, I went after her and we were both locked in a crypt. A gas line broke and we both feared that we wouldn't see the light of day. I expressed to her how I felt and she felt the same way, at least I thought. But the second Jason showed up she would get distant and I could see that I was just her second best."  
  
"So you blame Jason for stealing away Emily and Elizabeth?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But why me? Why do this to me?"  
  
"I needed Emily and Elizabeth to see that Jason was not some saint. I worked for Roy DeLuca and knew about his meeting with Sonny at the Oasis. The night Sonny caught you at the Oasis; I figured he wouldn't stand for it. He followed suit, and assigned Jason to watch out for you. I thought that if I showed Elizabeth that Jason was sneaking off to watch over you, she would dump him. And since she was a good friend with Emily, she would leak the information, thus shattering his image as the perfect brother and perfect boyfriend."  
  
"But I thought you and Elizabeth were back together?"  
  
"That was just an act. She came to me, upset when she heard that you had kissed Jason. I convinced her to make Jason jealous by showing off in front of him a relationship with a man he despised. I wanted him to feel the same way I felt when they both flaunted their relationship in front of me."  
  
Then Courtney remembered Elizabeth trapped at Kelly's, "Did you ever run into Jason?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Did you tell him about Elizabeth?"  
  
"He had no idea what I was talking about. He just brushed me off, the way he always does."  
  
"I told you so that you would go to Jason and get him to come to Kelly's. Elizabeth is trapped there with her rapist. I was trying to call for help when you took me."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
When Lucky and Nikolas got to the police station they immediately ran into Mac.  
  
"What's the rush, guys?" He asked, hoping that it had nothing to do with Luke.  
  
"Was Jason here earlier?" Nikolas asked, not completely trusting Jason.  
  
"He left with Taggart. Why? Has something happened?" Mac asked, knowing that if Jason Morgan was involved then it was trouble.  
  
"Tom Baker was released from prison. Elizabeth is missing." Lucky informed him.  
  
"And we found this among his personal belongings that his mother gave us." Nikolas added, handing Mac the metal box.  
  
He opened it up and looked inside, seeing just a torn piece of red fabric with what appeared to be dried blood on it.  
  
"That is the fabric from Elizabeth's dress the night she was raped. If you run a test on that blood, it will be hers." Lucky informed Mac.  
  
"Are you positive that Elizabeth's disappearance has anything to do with Tom?" Mac asked.  
  
"At his old studio there was this shrine to Elizabeth. It had pictures and newspaper clippings, most were from after he was put in jail."  
  
"I'll drop this off in our lab." He said, motioning towards the box. "As for convicting Tom, I'll need to see more evidence and get a statement from both of you."  
  
"What about Elizabeth?" Nikolas asked, knowing that time was still be wasted that could be spent searching.  
  
"I'll make a few calls and then you both can show me his old studio. He might have left a clue or may head back there." He started but got interrupted by the phone.  
  
"Hold on." He said, and grabbed at the phone.  
  
"Scorpio." He answered.  
  
"Yeah, Taggart, good. I'll be there in five." He finished and then hung up the phone.  
  
"What is it?" Nikolas asked, positive it had something to do with Elizabeth.  
  
"Tom Baker is at General Hospital. Stab wound to the lower torso."  
  
"Was it Jason?" Lucky asked, knowing what he himself would do if he ran into Tom.  
  
"According to Taggart, it was Elizabeth." He answered, allowing both men to relax a little.  
  
"Is she hurt?" Nikolas asked, concerned still for his friend.  
  
"All I know is she is at the hospital now. I'll need her statement, and I know the both of you have been worried, so let me give you a ride." Mac offered.  
  
The two brothers agreed and soon all three men were heading to General Hospital.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Well, the bad news is your leg is broken. The good news is, this type of break is rather common and it tends to heal rather nicely. You'll have to stay off your leg as much as possible, when walking use crutches." Dr. Jones informed her.  
  
"Thank you, Doctor Jones."  
  
He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'm just glad that you're alright."  
  
He left and a moment later a nurse entered with a wheelchair.  
  
"Ms. Webber? Dr. Jones told me you shouldn't put any pressure on your leg."  
  
She sighed, and got into the wheelchair. She didn't like the idea of having to be carted around but she rather do that then risk her leg getting much worse.  
  
"Can I do this myself?" She asked, insistent on being able to manage by herself.  
  
The nurse nodded and she left Elizabeth alone to fend for herself. She wheeled out of the room and started the process of moving down the hall. She stopped when she noticed a police officer standing outside one of the patient rooms. She knew who was inside.  
  
The doors opened as the doctors tried to move him to surgery. Tom was on a gurney and being pushed by three doctors towards the elevator.  
  
Taggart came out of the room a moment later and was surprised to see Elizabeth there.  
  
"This is the last place you should be."  
  
She smiled, thankful for his concern. "I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a dream. That I wasn't just waking up and that everything really happened."  
  
"I can tell you that Tom Baker is in real need of surgery. There is some internal bleeding. He'll be lucky if he survives."  
  
"He shouldn't have the right to be lucky." She mumbled under her breath.  
  
"I'm going to have to ask you some questions." Taggart informed her.  
  
"Could we do this tomorrow?" She asked, not in the mood.  
  
She looked out into the lobby and found Jason instantly. He turned as if he knew she was watching. Their eyes met.  
  
"Whenever it's convenient for you." Taggart answered, noticing that Elizabeth was no longer concerned with just their conversation.  
  
"Want a little help?" He asked, referring to wheeling her over to Jason.  
  
He could see now that Jason more than just cared for Elizabeth. And despite his own reserves, the man had come through for Elizabeth time and time again. Jason had known that to truly help Elizabeth he would have to go through police channels. That showed Taggart that his loyalty reached far beyond the man he worked for, it reached the people he truly cared about. And for that reason, Taggart saw no problem with Jason Morgan (at the moment).  
  
"Sure." She answered, with a surprised smile.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Zander hung up the phone.  
  
"There is no answer at Kelly's." He informed Courtney.  
  
"What are we going to do?" She asked, frightened.  
  
"I'm going over there. You're staying here." He ordered, and then took off through the doorway.  
  
Courtney looked around at the studio. Zander had locked the door so her only other means of escape would be the window. The window was small but she could manage through it. The only problem was the three-story drop below.  
  
She was sure that Zander would not hurt her. He had just been jealous, and gone overboard. She noticed another door and walked to it. When she opened it all she saw was a small shelving unit.  
  
She saw on the shelf a sketchpad. She got an idea and took the pad. She found a pencil and wrote a note. She folded it into a paper airplane and opened the window. She flew it out of the window. She prayed that someone would find it.  
  
She had no idea what else she could do and just started looking at the sketches in the notebook. Whoever had done them was very talented. She took notice of a man in one of the sketches and stopped. The man was playing pool. His face resembled Jason and Courtney began to wonder whom this place might belong to.  
  
She carelessly flipped through the other sketches, most of landscapes and inanimate objects. But she stopped on another, recognizing the men within it. They were Lucky Spencer and Nikolas Cassidine. She finally realized whom this studio belonged to, the connection between all of these men: Elizabeth!  
  
But why would Zander bring her to Elizabeth's studio? Why risk the possibility of someone like Lucky or Jason stopping by? Unless he knew that Elizabeth would not be coming to her studio anytime soon.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Lucky, Nikolas, and Mac came through the elevator doors just as Elizabeth was being wheeled over towards Jason.  
  
"Elizabeth!" Lucky called, getting her attention.  
  
He hugged her delicately, "Thank God."  
  
She smiled, thankful for his show of affection. From behind him, she could see Nikolas. Nikolas was the next man to wrap his arms around her.  
  
"I'm glad your safe." He whispered into her ear.  
  
She smiled, thankful that she had many wonderful friends.  
  
Elizabeth feared that Nikolas and Lucky would go off on Jason about him being the reason she was in danger, but surprisingly, they didn't. She actually caught a thankful glance between Lucky and Jason.  
  
"I am thankful that I have all of you in my life. I am lucky to have so many people that care about me. But, I'm not broken, so there is no need to hover and stay here all night. I think I can lay in a hospital bed without getting hurt, and I mean this for all of you." She stated, making sure to catch eye contact with all of them.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt." Mac started, "But I'm going to need to ask all of you a few questions."  
  
He took a moment and looked at Jason, knowing that Jason had not been willing to give information in the past.  
  
"Taggart promised I could answer questions tomorrow." Elizabeth informed Mac.  
  
"That was before we got our statement from Tom Baker."  
  
"What the hell did he say?" Lucky asked, already angry.  
  
"Before going into surgery, Tom said that you attacked him. That you saw him, went berserk, and tried to attack him. He said everything he did to you was in self defense." Mac answered, looking at Elizabeth.  
  
"And you believe that?" Lucky asked.  
  
"I cannot be biased here, I need to know the facts. Only then can we assign charges." Mac informed the group.  
  
"He raped Elizabeth, anything she did was in self-defense!" An angered Lucky yelled.  
  
"But none of that matters." Elizabeth said interrupting Lucky's rant.  
  
"Of course it matters!" Nikolas offered.  
  
Elizabeth explained, "Tom was never convicted of my rape. So I could not say I was protecting myself from my rapist because there is no proof he raped me." 


	10. The End of Something, The Beginning of E...

A/N: I know this update has been a long time coming, and for that I apologize. I had a lot to deal with as of late and did not really have as much time as I would have liked. I hope that this is satisfactory.  
  
When Zander got to Kelly's, he was shocked to find police tape surrounding the area. An officer was watching the area and Zander came up to him.  
  
"What happened here?" He asked.  
  
"Girl was attacked. Her and her attacker are at General Hospital."  
  
"Is the girl okay?" He asked, worried about Elizabeth.  
  
"I'm not sure. I'm just here to make sure no one disturbs the crime scene. I can't say anything more. Now please, be on your way." The guard stated.  
  
Zander left, frustrated. This had not been part of his plan. He had only wanted a little jealous revenge, that was all. But now, everything was out of control.  
  
He knew instantly that Jason was at the hospital with Elizabeth. He needed a new plan, something that would really show Elizabeth that she was wrong about Jason.  
  
An idea came to mind a moment later and Zander pulled out his cell phone.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Nikolas questioned Mac, "If we could prove that Tom was Elizabeth's rapist, wouldn't it be easy to prove her case of self-defense?"  
  
"Yes, but that's a long stretch. Elizabeth was raped years ago; it is going to be hard to prove it. Most of the evidence would be circumstantial."  
  
"What if that blood is hers?" Lucky asked, regarding the material he and Nikolas had found.  
  
"What blood?" Elizabeth asked, confused.  
  
"We've got some evidence that might prove Tom was your rapist." Nikolas offered to explain.  
  
"From where?" Elizabeth asked, curious.  
  
Audrey came over, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Elizabeth, you shouldn't be out here, you should be in your room."  
  
Before she could manage a protest, Audrey pushed her through the crowd and down towards the patient rooms.  
  
"You can deal with all of that after you've had some rest, dear." Audrey said on the way to her room.  
  
When she was settled in her bed, Audrey left her alone in the room. She considered leaving and going back outside to hear all the facts she had not been privy to, when a knock sounded on her door.  
  
She knew who it was, she could sense him.  
  
"Come in." She called.  
  
He slowly opened the door and closed it softly behind him. Their eyes met like a million times before as he crossed the room and sat down in a chair beside her bed.  
  
"I'm glad you're here. We need to talk." She said as he sat.  
  
Before she said anything else, he took her hand and slid it into his own. She smiled at his gesture but knew she still had to go through with her original plan.  
  
"This can't happen." She offered, surprising Jason.  
  
She continued, "None of what's going on changes what happened between you and Courtney, and what didn't happen between us."  
  
"Let me explain." He offered, simply.  
  
"There's no need, I already know what you're going to say. A few years ago, you offered me Italy and I chose Lucky. I thought that he was what I wanted, and I convinced myself of this so much that I began to believe it. And I've done the same thing with us; I've convinced myself that some way we can make this work, that somehow everything we've put up with getting here is worth something. But it isn't. In the end, we're in the exact same place we were then; I have two choices. I can walk away and never look back, cherish what we've had but not imagine that which we didn't. Or, I can just hold your hand forever, get lost in your eyes, and ride away on the back of your motorcycle. But I didn't have to make a choice, you made it for me. You chose Courtney, and I respect that. I respect you enough to let you go and find the happiness you deserve."  
  
Jason could not believe his ears, "Elizabeth, that was just a kiss. It doesn't mean half as much as one moment I've spent with you."  
  
"It's never just a kiss, Jason. There has to be something behind it-some emotion-to justify it."  
  
Before he had a chance to counter, a nurse walked in.  
  
"Mr. Morgan?"  
  
He turned, surprised, "Yes?"  
  
"There is a phone call at the main desk for you. It's urgent. They tried to reach you by your phone. Emergency."  
  
He turned back towards Elizabeth just as she pulled her hand away from his. Her eyes told him to go but he wanted so much to stay, and explain to her everything. He looked deep into her eyes, trying to find a ray of hope that he had not lost everything, but he didn't find it.  
  
"Mr. Morgan?" The nurse called.  
  
He turned and walked out the door, feeling Elizabeth's eyes watching him as he left.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Hello?" He answered the phone.  
  
"You know who this is, we can skip the pleasantries. I've got Courtney. I've left you a clue at the Elm Street Pier." The voice on the other end said.  
  
Jason pinched his noise, frustrated. He had enough on his plate already with Tom and Elizabeth. And now Courtney's stalker was making demands of him.  
  
"Why me? Why not A.J. or Sonny?"  
  
"It's you I want. And this is a limited time offer, if you don't come now, there won't be a second chance." The voice said, and then hung up.  
  
"Shit." He mumbled and stared back towards Elizabeth's room.  
  
He needed to make her understand, and if he went off to help Courtney then it would look more and more like they were together. But if he stayed, Courtney could get hurt.  
  
He couldn't let anyone hurt Courtney; he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He started towards the elevators.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Neither Nikolas nor Lucky wanted to leave Elizabeth. However, they knew that to prove their case, and help clear her, they needed to show Mac what they had found.  
  
They went back to the police station and gotten large police flashlights to make it easier on them all. As soon as they arrived, Lucky and Nikolas lead the way down into the basement.  
  
Lucky and Nikolas held up their flashlights to show Mac the various pictures and articles pertaining to Elizabeth.  
  
"This is his old studio, but we have to have evidence that proves this was him that put these up." Mac offered.  
  
"Wouldn't you be able to lift fingerprints?" Nikolas asked.  
  
"If he was dumb enough to leave them, yes." Mac offered, as he looked over the different articles.  
  
Mac focused on one article in particular, which had a picture of Carly, Taggart, Lucky, Bobbie, and Elizabeth.  
  
"FIRE AT CORINTHOS-MORGAN WAREHOUSE  
  
An explosion set off a wall of fire at a warehouse of alleged mobster Michael 'Sonny' Corinthos. The fire quickly damaged the foundation of the ware- house, which made the job of local firefighters that much more difficult. Carly Corinthos had to be held back by the police from entering the burning blaze. When firefighters no longer felt confident that the foundation would hold, they backed out of search and rescue of Corinthos. Luckily, Jason Morgan, the co-owner of the warehouse was on the scene. Morgan rushed in and saved Corinthos to the awe of spectators, and Port Charles Police. Corinthos was taken to General Hospital as well as his associate Benjamin Abrams, whom was rescued earlier by fire fighters."  
  
"I'm going to call a team out here to collect the articles and pictures. Have either of you touched any of them?"  
  
"No." They answered in unison.  
  
"Well, let's get out of here. I don't want this site contaminated. If there is a print, we'll find it."  
  
Lucky and Nikolas left to go back to the hospital while Mac stayed behind to surround the area in police tape. He called a team from the police station and stayed behind to command them.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A minute or two after Jason left, Taggart stepped into her room.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I have to ask you those questions."  
  
"You're doing your job." She answered, as he sat down, "I just hate being stuck in a hospital room."  
  
"If you want, it doesn't have to be here. We could do it in the lobby, or the chapel."  
  
"I could ask my grandmother if we could use the employee break area."  
  
"I think it'll be alright." He said.  
  
Elizabeth refused any help and got into the wheelchair by herself. But she did allow Taggart to push her to the break room. The room was completely empty.  
  
"I need to know what happened before we helped you early this afternoon."  
  
"I came in late, Courtney was already there setting up. We talked for a few minutes and then I went into the back to wash dishes. It was a while later when the customer came in; I didn't see him because Courtney was the only one in the front. I remember her making an offhand comment about the customer being creepy and I was already on edge about Tom but I didn't connect the two. I guess Courtney did, she came and told me to leave and get Sonny or Jason. I didn't understand and just stayed. It was a while later I found out that it was Tom and he had Courtney hostage. She got away and I was left alone with Tom. To make a long story short, I confronted him, he attacked me. I managed to get the scissors and after the register fell . . ."  
  
"Okay. Morgan and I can testify that Tom was attacking you. We already have testimony from Lucky and Nikolas about Tom. Now all I need to get testimony from Courtney. Do you know where she is?" Taggart asked.  
  
"No. I haven't heard from her since she left."  
  
"Okay. Do you want a push back to your room?"  
  
"No, that's okay."  
  
As he opened the door, Elizabeth called out to him, "Wait!"  
  
He turned, "Remember something else?"  
  
"Zander came by the diner. But Courtney had told him I wasn't there and he took off."  
  
Taggart made a note of it and left.  
  
Elizabeth waited a moment more and then opened the door. The coast was clear and she made her way, not towards her own room, but towards Tom's. She assumed he was, or would be soon, out of surgery.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
When Jason got to the pier, he noticed nothing unusual. He searched for this clue that was allegedly left for him but saw nothing. Believing the trip was fruitless but not wanting to give up, he searched again.  
  
It was the second time looking over the area when the object caught his eye. He pulled it out from between the pieces of wood and examined it. It was a paintbrush that was stained with something red.  
  
Was it paint or blood?  
  
He quickly deduced that it was paint and felt slightly relieved.  
  
It was Elizabeth's image that came to mind. Was the phone call just a way to get him away from Elizabeth so they could do something to her? Was it all just a ploy to get him out of the area so they could pay him back by using her?  
  
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. A nurse picked up.  
  
"General Hospital. How may I help you?"  
  
"Could you please connect me to Elizabeth Webber?"  
  
A moment later the nurse answered, "She is on restricted access. I cannot transfer this call. I'm sorry sir."  
  
"Could you tell me if she is in her room?" He asked.  
  
"Hold please." The nurse answered.  
  
It took a while but eventually the nurse got back on the phone. The waiting nearly drove the normally patient Jason to the edge. What was taking so long?  
  
"Sir?" The nurse asked, her tone alerting Jason that something wasn't right. He instantly knew what she would say.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'm sorry . . . it seems she's not in her room . . . we actually cannot locate her at the moment."  
  
Jason quickly ended the call and shoved the phone in his pocket. He believed that his conclusion was correct, that the phone call placed to him was merely a ploy to get him away from Elizabeth and had nothing to do with Courtney at all.  
  
He left for the hospital, not even having the thought of Elizabeth's studio pass through his mind.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
When Zander got to the hospital he passed Taggart leaving. He tried to rush right past him but Taggart noticed.  
  
"Zander!"  
  
Zander stopped and turned, "What?"  
  
"Are you here to see Elizabeth?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"She's fine so it won't matter if you see her in a few minutes."  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"She said that you came by the diner. Did you see a man inside when you came?"  
  
"Yeah. But I didn't stay long."  
  
"That man was the one that attacked Elizabeth. When you're done with your visit, can you come down to the police station to make a statement?"  
  
"Sure." Zander said, and then started on his way.  
  
Taggart wasn't finished, "Zander! Have you seen Courtney Matthews?"  
  
Zander paused in mid-stride, "Not since I left the diner."  
  
Taggart seemed satisfied, having no reason to suspect him, and went on his way. Zander breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to the nurse's station. He ran into Bobbie.  
  
"Where's Elizabeth?" He asked.  
  
"That's what we're trying to piece together. She isn't in her room."  
  
Zander had gotten to know Elizabeth pretty well recently and imagined where she might be. When Bobbie went on her way, he went straight up to the nurse's station.  
  
"May I help you sir?"  
  
"I hope so. My father was just brought in."  
  
"His name?" The nurse asked.  
  
Zander whispered low, "The man whom attacked the girl."  
  
The nurse's eyes got larger, "The police are watching over him. They haven't let anyone in to see him but doctors."  
  
"Could you tell me the room?"  
  
"236."  
  
He smiled and went on his way. When he turned down the hallway that contained room 236 he was not at all surprised to see Elizabeth. She didn't even register his presence until he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
Startled, she tried to jump back but then she saw who it was.  
  
"I'm sorry." He apologized, sincerely.  
  
She smiled at him momentarily to let him know that all was forgiven. But then her eyes went back towards room 236. He noticed and kneeled beside her wheelchair.  
  
"Everybody is looking for you. They're worried."  
  
She ignored his comment, "I can't do it."  
  
"Do what?" He asked, confused.  
  
"I hate him. I hate him so much. I want to just go in there and pull the plug. I hate him so much. He deserves it. But I can't." She started, tearfully.  
  
Zander wrapped his arms around her, "It's better that you can't. You can't sink to his level. You're better than him."  
  
She smiled momentarily.  
  
"How about we get you out of here?" He asked.  
  
"I'm not supposed to leave. I should get back to my room before everyone starts to worry."  
  
"You hate hospitals, Elizabeth. Let me take you away from here."  
  
She considered the offer, what did she have to loose? She smiled to let him know that her decision had been made and he started pushing her towards the back stairs to avoid those looking for her.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Taggart was in the parking lot of the hospital going over his notes on the case. He noticed a few things. First off, Elizabeth's whereabouts until she arrived at work that morning were still undetermined. Something about the way she had told him about her day, it seemed as though she purposely left her whereabouts the night before out of the conversation. Why?  
  
Secondly, why did Zander stop by? What caused him to rush to confront Jason about Elizabeth?  
  
Taggart recalled that Elizabeth was the one connection between Zander and Jason. Jason had been the one looking for Elizabeth, along with Nikolas and Lucky. So, had they contacted Zander? Was he the missing link?  
  
Lastly, where was Courtney Matthews? Why didn't she come forward when she escaped to save Elizabeth?  
  
Taggart knew that whom he could get some information out of easily and was determined to solve the crime sooner rather than later.  
  
He started his car and took off.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Commissioner!" A young detective squealed.  
  
Mac came rushing over and the two almost collided.  
  
"What do ya got?" Mac asked, hopeful.  
  
"We've got a partial print off one of the photographs of the woman."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"Not yet sir."  
  
"Keep looking." He ordered, and the young detective took off.  
  
Mac's phone purred in his pocket and he pulled it out, "Scorpio."  
  
"This is Steve at the lab, we've got the results of the fiber and blood evidence you had rushed over."  
  
Mac hoped that it would match the dress Elizabeth wore and be her blood.  
  
"Well . . .?" Mac asked.  
  
"The tests on the material fiber evidence did not bring up anything conclusive. However, the blood did not match that of the sample you submitted. However, I took the liberty of putting it in our database and we have a match with a missing girl. The girl has been missing since a little before your suspect was sent to prison."  
  
Mac sighed, "I'm sending over a partial print to the lab. I want you to run it against the prints of the suspect. If there is no match, go to the database."  
  
"Yes, sir." The man on the other end of the line agreed.  
  
Mac ended the call and put his cell back in his pocket. He knew a few men whom would be disappointed with the results of the material, but he was hopeful that the print would be helpful.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Despite the fact that the hospital was looking for her, it was extremely easy for Zander to remove Elizabeth from the hospital. She wanted to go back to her studio but he convinced her to go to his apartment.  
  
"Maybe you should lay down." He offered, worried.  
  
She didn't want to admit it, but the drugs she was given for the pain in her leg were making her drowsy.  
  
"Will you wake me up in a few hours?" She requested, as he tucked her into bed.  
  
"Is it alright if I leave you alone while you sleep? I have to run an errand."  
  
"Sure. But come back soon." She said, yawning.  
  
He opened his door, turned out the lights, "I promise."  
  
He closed the door and a few minutes later she was asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
By the time Jason got to the hospital, Audrey was in a panic. When he stepped out of the elevator and was noticed by Bobbie, she ran over before Audrey could.  
  
"Jason, Elizabeth's gone!"  
  
"I know, I called earlier. There's been no sign?"  
  
"No. And Audrey's near hysterics."  
  
"It isn't like her to just leave." Bobbie mentioned.  
  
"It's my fault." He said almost as a mumble.  
  
"Jason . . ." Bobbie started, getting ready to tell him that it had nothing to do with him. But he knew better.  
  
"I'll find her." He said, and rushed towards the elevator.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Bobbie had called Lucky after her conversation with Jason to ask if he knew anything about Elizabeth's whereabouts. When he could not provide any information she told him not to worry, that Jason was already looking, and ended the call.  
  
"Elizabeth has gone missing from the hospital." Lucky informed Nikolas when he got off the phone.  
  
Nikolas could not believe that she was missing again. Knowing that Tom was in the same hospital made him extremely worried about Elizabeth's safety. He planned on rushing to the hospital but took notice that the light was on in Elizabeth's studio.  
  
"Where are you going?" Lucky asked as he turned towards her studio.  
  
He pointed to the light and convinced Lucky momentarily that Elizabeth was okay.  
  
Nikolas hurriedly parked and both men ran up to the studio and luckily one had a key. They opened the door, shocked to find Courtney there.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Lucky asked confused.  
  
Courtney almost hugged him, "Zander has had me here since I got away from the diner. He's the one who has been stalking me for months. But the thing of it is, he is only doing it to get back at Jason."  
  
Neither Lucky or Nikolas were surprised that Elizabeth had fallen in- between a battle between Jason and someone else. But Nikolas was the only one who thought of something to do about it.  
  
He dialed Jason's number. It rang twice and then it was picked up.  
  
"Morgan."  
  
"It's Nikolas."  
  
"Did you find her?" He asked, but knew the answer before he posed the question. He could feel that Nikolas had information but he knew that Elizabeth was still not found.  
  
"No, but I did find Courtney and . . ."  
  
"Where was she?" He asked, surprised and relieved.  
  
"She was locked in Elizabeth's studio . . . by Zander." Nikolas offered.  
  
"Zan-" Jason started to ask, but then the pieces started to fall together.  
  
He ended his call and rushed to Zander's. He knew that Elizabeth was safe, in his heart. But he also did not trust Zander enough to know that she would stay that way.  
  
* * *  
  
Zander did not notice Nikolas' car parked near Elizabeth's studio. Nor did he notice anything else unusual as he walked up the stairs to Elizabeth's studio. But as soon as he reached the level her studio was on he heard the voices of two men that could ruin his plan. He took out the gun that he had carried since taking Courtney hostage and pointed it into the room, towards three stunned individuals.  
  
* * * Taggart pulled into the parking space at Jake's and ran down the stairs into the bar. He walked over to the bar and instantly got Coleman's attention.  
  
"What'll it be?" Coleman asked, nonchalantly.  
  
"I'm on duty. I need to ask you a few questions." Taggart informed him.  
  
"About what?" Coleman inquired.  
  
"Zander Smith, you know him?"  
  
"Lives upstairs, why? What's he done?"  
  
"Nothing that concerns you. I just need to know if he's brought anyone home with him recently. A young woman with brown hair?"  
  
Coleman turned and questioned a staff member whom frequently worked behind the bar. They had a brief conversation that was out of Taggart's earshot before Coleman returned to answer Taggart.  
  
"My man said that he saw some young woman going up those stairs last night. That this morning he came down the stairs with her. I'm not sure, having never seen her, but I think it might be the same girl he took up there not even an hour ago."  
  
Taggart thanked him and let him go on serving his customers. Taggart knew that something had been going on between Jason and Lucky for some time. Knowing that Nikolas was also an enemy of Jason helped him put the pieces into place. Elizabeth had gone to get away from them all-perhaps due to a fight of some sort-and asked Zander for help. She spent the night there and that was who the barkeeper saw come down in the morning with Zander. He concluded that Coleman must be mistaken, given that he knew Elizabeth was safe in the hospital. Or at least he thought she was.  
  
He started to leave when he ran into Jason Morgan coming down the stairs. Jason rushed past him and headed towards the back stairs. He ran to catch up and caught up with him at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"What's the rush, Morgan?" He asked.  
  
"Nikolas called, said he found Courtney."  
  
"Where?" Taggart asked.  
  
"Locked in Elizabeth's studio."  
  
"Then why are you here?" Taggart asked, not realizing any connection.  
  
"Zander was the one who locked her in." He offered, and then started up the stairs.  
  
Taggart followed Jason up the stairs and to Zander's door. Taggart knocked and yelled, "Police, open up."  
  
* * *  
  
"Zander!" Courtney screamed, causing Nikolas and Lucky to turn.  
  
Nikolas immediately stepped in front of Lucky and Courtney and began to try and reason with Zander.  
  
"You don't have to do this. This isn't you." He offered, trying to appeal to the good side of Zander that Emily and Elizabeth had talked to him about.  
  
But Lucky gallantly stepped forward to try and wrestle the gun out of Zander's hands. Nikolas and Courtney watched in horror as the two men fought over the weapon.  
  
The gun went off and Lucky fell to the ground due to the impact of the bullet. Zander looked at the gun in disbelief. Courtney screamed as he dropped the gun on the floor and looked at Lucky laying in front of him.  
  
"I . . . I'm . . . sorr-" He struggled out as he looked down at Lucky.  
  
Nikolas pulled out his cell phone and called an ambulance while Courtney moved in to get a better look at the bullet wound. Zander stood watching over it all, sending up a silent prayer that Lucky would survive.  
  
* * *  
  
Elizabeth woke up to the sound of pounding at the door. She instantly remembered that she was at Zander's and wondered if he had locked himself out.  
  
"Police, open up." A muffled cry came through the door.  
  
She looked at her wheelchair across the room and wished that it were closer. As she started to get off the bed, Taggart and Jason broke down the door.  
  
Both men watched as a surprised Elizabeth jumped at the sudden action fell off the bed. She shouted out with pain as she landed on her broken leg.  
  
Jason was the first to rush over to her side as Taggart canvassed the entire apartment. Jason didn't bother to ask if she was okay because he knew that she wasn't.  
  
"I'm sorry we surprised you." He apologized.  
  
"Why are you here? Was it really necessary to break down Zander's door?"  
  
Taggart came back from checking the entire apartment.  
  
"We had reason to believe you were being held here against your will." He offered.  
  
"Against my will? Zander would never hurt me." She said, knowing that neither Jason nor Taggart were fans of Zander.  
  
"He was holding Courtney Matthews hostage at your studio. You went missing and he became an obvious suspect." Taggart informed her.  
  
Elizabeth was silent in disbelief, she convinced herself that she had heard wrong.  
  
"What?"  
  
Jason answered, "Lucky and Nikolas went to your studio to look for you. They found Courtney there, locked in. She said it was Zander who locked her in."  
  
"Zander would never do anything like that! You both must be mistaken!" She started, trying to convince them but knew that it was like she was addressing deaf ears.  
  
"That is what Lucky said over the phone. I haven't gotten an official statement, but it looks to me as if it's the truth."  
  
"Everybody knows that Lucky isn't Zander's biggest fan. You cannot just accept something as fact without investigating it first." She started, committed to fight for Zander, even if it meant going against Lucky.  
  
"You're right, we don't know the facts. But we do know that you need to get back to the hospital." Jason offered.  
  
She knew he was right so she did not protest.  
  
* * * The ambulance had come and gone, taking with it Lucky Spencer. Nikolas was offered the chance to ride along because of his family relation but had turned down the opportunity to make sure that Courtney was alright. All of them had an unspoken agreement not to tell the police about what happened.  
  
Courtney was worried about Lucky and Nikolas agreed to drive her to the hospital. Zander, still obviously upset over the entire situation, asked if he could bum a ride. Normally Nikolas would have turned him down, and given the circumstances, no one would blame him. But he knew that no matter how bad he thought Zander was, he knew that Zander had not meant to shoot Lucky. He let him ride with him to the hospital.  
  
"Oh my God, Elizabeth! I totally forgot! Is she okay?" Courtney asked, feeling guilty she had forgotten.  
  
"She was at the hospital earlier but she took off. We were looking for her when we stumbled upon you." Nikolas offered.  
  
Zander was silent in the back seat. He did not even register the conversation because the guilt of shooting Lucky was eating him alive.  
  
* * * Jason took Elizabeth to the hospital, leaving Taggart behind to talk with Mac. The ride there was uncomfortable for both Jason and Elizabeth.  
  
Elizabeth knew that Jason felt responsible, as he always did, and felt as if he needed to shelter her from the world. She appreciated his concern but found it overbearing. Jason was concerned, but not so much as with the current situation as with his feelings for Elizabeth.  
  
In the hospital, Elizabeth had told him that they were through. She told him that they could never work and it wasn't worth the pain either had gone through. There had been many rough spots along the way, but Jason knew, as did Elizabeth, that the only things worth having are those you have to fight for. He just wasn't sure if he could remind her of that.  
  
When they arrived at the hospital it was franticly busy. An emergency patient had just arrived and was being rushed into surgery. A group of doctors and nurses rushed past Elizabeth and Jason, following the patient into the room.  
  
"I'm starting to appreciate the fact that I only have a broken leg." She offered as they sat in the waiting area.  
  
He looked at her amazed that she would be concerned with the life of a complete stranger, as if she had some connection to them. It did not surprise him because he knew how large her heart was.  
  
She could feel him looking at her, reading her every thought and she began to feel a little self-conscious. She didn't like the idea of him knowing what she was thinking, because it went against everything she had been telling him.  
  
"How did you get to Zander's?" Jason asked, changing the subject because he could feel that she was uncomfortable.  
  
"I don't like hospitals and he offered another place for me to recuperate." She said, not wanting to get Zander in any more trouble.  
  
"I'm sorry I had to go, I had to take care of . . . " He started.  
  
She finished for him, "some business?"  
  
He waited a moment before continuing, afraid that he might upset her with news that Zander was not the man she thought he was.  
  
"The call was from Courtney's stalker. He said if I wanted to see Courtney alive again then I had to come. I couldn't let her die." He said, feeling as though she might misjudge his motive.  
  
"Was she okay?" Elizabeth asked, concerned.  
  
"I never got to her. I found a clue and I thought it had to do with you so I rushed back here. I forgot once I heard that you were missing."  
  
"Lucky and Nikolas found her?" Elizabeth asked, connecting the dots.  
  
"As far as I know. I haven't heard from them . . ."  
  
The opening of the elevator door cut off Jason.  
  
Nikolas, Courtney, and Zander emerged and made a b-line towards the center nurse's station. The commotion made Elizabeth notice.  
  
"Nikolas?" She called.  
  
All three turned to see her. Nikolas and Courtney looked relieved to see that she was okay. But their main priority was Lucky.  
  
"How's Lucky?" Courtney asked, assuming that Elizabeth would know.  
  
"Lucky? What happened?" She asked, scared.  
  
"He was shot . . ." Nikolas started but trailed off while looking at Zander.  
  
Courtney's eyes met Jason's and he instantly felt guilty. She cautiously looked away as if betraying A.J., but her eyes kept darting back to look at him. He looked tired and concerned. And then she saw him look at Elizabeth and she saw something within his eyes change. Then she noticed the way he sat just a few feet away, his whole body facing her.  
  
She realized, without a doubt, that Jason's heart belonged to another. And perhaps Elizabeth was to blind to see it now, or just pretended not to see it, but it was there.  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, A.J. showed up.  
  
"Courtney!" He called from behind her.  
  
She turned, "A.J.?"  
  
"Are you alright?" Hr asked, not even noticing that anyone else was there, including his brother.  
  
"I'm fine, we're just . . ."  
  
"Thank God." He interrupted, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so sorry about before."  
  
Knowing that Jason's heart belonged to another seemed to erase her guilty conscience. She knew that she loved A.J. and assumed, because she hardly knew Jason, that her feelings were merely a passing physical attraction. She reveled in knowing that she had a man that loved her and she need not look elsewhere.  
  
"I'm sorry too."  
  
"Let's get you home." He offered and she accepted.  
  
Minutes after they left, Monica Quatermaine came out of surgery. She walked over to the group and hesitated briefly when she saw her son was among them.  
  
"How's Lucky?" Nikolas asked.  
  
"It's hard to tell right now. He made it through surgery but he's not out of the woods yet. We were able to remove the bullet but there was some internal damage. But we are hopeful that there will be a full recovery."  
  
Jason heard the group let out a collective sigh of relief. He was not the biggest fan of Lucky Spencer, but he was also happy that the younger man had survived.  
  
As if Elizabeth sensed this, she turned to Jason and smiled. For a moment their eyes met, just as they had a million times before, but something within them had changed.  
  
Seeing this change, but knowing not what it was, Jason tried to remove himself from the situation.  
  
"I'll go see if Dr. Jones can see you." He offered, and then got up and started walking towards the nurse's station.  
  
Elizabeth watched him walk away and felt something empty inside of her, as if part of her being was missing.  
  
* * * Lucky was true to his name and survived surgery successfully. The bullet had only hit his arm so there was not much damage. His arm was in a sling, and he was on drugs to relieve the pain, but other than that he was no worse for wear.  
  
Nikolas was the first to come in, holding the door to allow Elizabeth to wheel herself inside. She had insisted that he let her do it on her own and he had not fought her.  
  
"Elizabeth!" He shouted, excited to see that she was safe.  
  
"How are you feeling?" She asked.  
  
"It's not too bad. Similar to how you're leg must be feeling." He offered.  
  
Nikolas interrupted the moment, "I wanted to wait until you both were together to tell you the news."  
  
"What news?" Lucky asked, his interest piqued.  
  
"As soon as Tom is stabilized, he'll be on his way to Pentonville. A partial print of his was found on one of the pictures at his studio and the blood on the red material did not belong to Elizabeth but to another missing girl. It seems that he was a suspect in the case but they had not had enough evidence to convict him. He'll be in there for at least 25 years, with no chance of parole."  
  
"When did you find this out?" Lucky asked, curious.  
  
"While you were in surgery, Mac called."  
  
Elizabeth, whom had tried to remain mum, spoke up, "Lucky, did Zander shoot you?"  
  
Lucky knew that Elizabeth always tried to find the best in people. He didn't want to disappoint her by letting her know the truth but he knew that she deserved honesty.  
  
"It was an accident." He offered.  
  
"And you both found Courtney in my studio?" She asked them both.  
  
"Yes." Nikolas answered.  
  
As if on cue, Zander appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Oh, sorry to interrupt, I'll come back." He said, starting to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Lucky called.  
  
Zander turned.  
  
"I'm not pressing charges and as far as I know, neither is Courtney."  
  
Curious, Nikolas spoke up, "Why'd you do it?"  
  
Zander did not have to say anything because they knew without words. Elizabeth said it out loud, "Emily."  
  
Bobbie interrupted to let them know that Lucky needed his rest and they all had to leave him be. They all left, some more hesitantly than others. Elizabeth was the last to leave and Lucky called her back.  
  
"Hold on a sec." He called to her.  
  
She turned.  
  
"You love him." He offered.  
  
She did not let her eyes linger in his gaze and turned away.  
  
"If you don't see it through, you'll never know." He offered.  
  
"I know it won't work. We tried and we tried but our lives don't go together. We aren't meant to be."  
  
"Jason went above and beyond when you went missing. He ignored Sonny and 'business' and went to look for you. He went as far as going to the police to make sure that you would return home safely. He is willing to change his life around for you. If he is willing to do all that, you should give him a chance."  
  
Elizabeth was surprised to hear these words coming from Lucky Spencer of all people.  
  
She finally admitted something that until then she had kept to herself, "I'm afraid."  
  
Lucky looked at her quizzically.  
  
"I'm afraid that if I allow myself to love him and we get close that I will loose him. It hurt so much when you were gone, Lucky. I wouldn't have survived if I didn't have Nikolas, Emily, and Jason. But if I loose him, I'm afraid that I'll become that girl again."  
  
"You told me once that if you were given a choice to never feel pain again and the cost would be just one moment we spent together, you would not accept it. All I know is that you look at him the same way you use to look at me. Sure, there will be rough times, but there will also be good times. You deserve so much happiness, Elizabeth, and he can bring you that happiness. I know that you'll worry that he might not come home, but none of us have that guarantee. There are car accidents and plane crashes that happen to ordinary people. Sure, Jason's job is dangerous, but maybe if he knew he had someone waiting for him to come home then he would be more cautious. You have to give it a chance. You've said that you're never safe when you love someone; you have to take a leap of faith. Leap, Elizabeth, don't let this slip away."  
  
Before she could answer, he said simply, "Go."  
  
She wheeled herself out of the room and towards the waiting area. Jason was sitting there, his head resting back on the cushion, his eyes closed, and his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. She realized that he had most-likely not slept since she went missing. She knew that he cared and knew that he would go to the ends of the Earth to protect her.  
  
He opened his eyes as if he knew she was coming, as if he had some sixth sense.  
  
"How's Lucky?" He asked, concerned.  
  
"He'll be okay."  
  
"What's happened?" He asked, sensing that something had changed between them.  
  
"I don't want to stay in this hospital tonight and I know that if I go back to my studio or somewhere else, you'll worry . . . so, can I stay with you tonight."  
  
He looked at her as if in disbelief.  
  
"I'm doing this for your benefit of course."  
  
He smiled, knowing what this meant.  
  
"Of course."  
  
He offered to push her but she declined. They went down the elevator in silence and landed on the parking level quickly. They drove back to Jason's penthouse in silence, both silently enjoying the company of the other. When they arrived at Harbor view Towers, Jason leaned in to help Elizabeth out and got more than he bargained for: a kiss.  
  
He was not at all surprised, but thoroughly enjoyed it. And they both secretly reveled in the fact that there would be many more to come. 


End file.
